


The Empty City

by MyThoughtBubbles



Series: The Infected Universe [1]
Category: Naruto, The Last of Us
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Dark themes but also not, Feels, Infected, Infected are zombies, Iruka is a badass, Kakashi has a wolf pack, Kakashi has the hots for Iruka, M/M, Power Dynamics, Shit gets graphic, Smut, Survival Horror, The Last of Us game, There's hella romance, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, kakairu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 08:53:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 78,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2263500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyThoughtBubbles/pseuds/MyThoughtBubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>10 years after the initial outbreak of a lethal infection that decimated the human race, only a few survivors are left to struggle to survive and fight the deadly Infected that roam the vacant world. KakaIru.  Environments and Infected based off of the survival horror/ action-adventure video game,  The Last of Us.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I’m in a zombie/survival fic mood. Enjoy?
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. The Last of Us and all associated characters and creations are owned by Naughty Dog.
> 
> xXx Beta’d by the illustrious Hananotsuki Hime and 420Luver xXx

His empty stomach let out a loud roar of hunger, almost deafening in the silence surrounding him. A cramp of pain ripped throughout his gut, reminding him of his objective. Grimacing, Iruka Umino placed a hand on his abdomen hoping to placate his stomach. He hadn't eaten well in days. Munching on old dried meat and expired peanuts pilfered from a gas station weren't entirely healthy or a good source of energy. His eyes roamed his environment, searching, wary.

The scenery that lay before him was one of despair and desolation. The skeletal remains of rusted, beaten cars littered the streets, remnants of traffic jams. Doors lay wide open, devoid of passengers. Windows were shattered, spider web like cracks decorating the glass that was still intact. Some vehicles were overturned, lying on their sides while others were crashed into each other, a swarm of corroded metal pieces surrounding the collision.

The tar of the streets was fractured and ruined, with green leaflets sprouting through, fighting to live on despite the despondency around them and offering a glimpse of something more beyond the destruction around them. Cement chunks from the surrounding buildings created large craters on ground, crushing nearby cars. Trees grew wild with no abandon; their roots taking back what man built over, ripping up the pavement in their wake. Vines latched onto the city buildings and crawled up towards the sun. Street lamps bent and twisted at abstract angles, road signs were tarnished beyond recognition. Stores had been raided and nearly destroyed.

Nothing was left untouched.

Iruka sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "This place is a mess." He spoke aloud to himself. "I might be lost…"

Falling down to one knee in the middle of the street, Iruka tugged his worn knapsack off. He opened it up and pulled a shabby folded up map from one of the inner pockets. He unfolded the old paper and set it on the floor, carefully smoothing out the creases. A quick glance towards the dented and barely discernible street sign told him where he was and he looked back down, a maze of grey blocks, red and blue lines, and small signs stared back at him from the map. Locating his current position on the paper, he delicately traced a path, running his finger down a red line and tapping the parchment once.

"It should be down several blocks and have a statue outside…."

Murmuring to himself, the psychology teacher quickly folded the map back into its original square shape and shoved it back into the pack. Checking his trusty watch, he calculated how much time left he had until the sun set _. A few more hours before I'll need to find shelter. Let's hope I get lucky this time_ … Slipping his pack back on, he began to walk.

After a while of sneaking around, Iruka eventually made it to his destination. It was a low-rise public library. Tall Corinthian columns stood guard in three archways at the double glass door entrance. A stretch of stone stairs ascended to the doorway decorated with pedestals, fierce stone lions standing at the ends. The outer walls of the library spanned out extravagantly, with small alcoves dipping into the walls with angelic roman sculptures filling in the space. Marble figures adorned the balcony above the entryway, modeled after famous Greek philosophers. Tall oak trees around the building reached the sky, their strong and gnarled branches connecting up above.

A black iron-wrought rusted gate surrounded the entrance of the library, stretching to cover the lush plants and flowers growing wildly in the gardens. The name of the building was fashioned out of twisted metal, decorating the entrance of the gate. Below it, a busted padlock hung loosely from a chain.

Gazing in awe at the serene sight, Iruka was silent, taking in the beautiful structure. A light breeze coursed through the air, rustling the yellow-golden leaves in the trees. Beams of sunlight burst through in between the spaces of the branches and leaves, creating golden sun spots on the grass. Shivering, Iruka secured the light red scarf around his neck, tugging it up to cover his ears. Winter was coming. He lightly jogged up the steps, bypassing the broken gate and enjoying the muted tapping noise he created.

He reached the library's main entrance and frowned. A heavy silver padlock was chained around the gold handles of the doors. Rust had covered the keyhole and molded the padlock to the handle. Outstretching his hand, he grasped the lock firmly and tugged, testing its resistance.

"No good, it's on there permanently." He sighed dejectedly. Letting the lock go, it squeaked as it rocked back to its original position. He moved away, searching for another way in. The black gate only protected the front lawn of the library, leaving the rest of the building accessible. A small gated door next to a maintenance shed led towards the back of the library. Iruka followed the length of the structure until he came across the back entrance. The door was wide open, nearly falling off its hinges. Alarm bells ringing in Iruka's head and his sense of self-preservation rearing up, he entered the building cautiously. An open door was a never a good sign. Walking through a series of desolate hallways, he eventually arrived at the main room of the library.

Immediately he was impressed by the design and palatial feel of the area. Row after row of long rectangular tables stretched out to the other side of the room. Small silver lamps decorated each table, winking at him as they were hit by sunlight.

Up above, magnificent crystalline chandeliers drooped down at regular intervals. The crystals glittered brightly in the sunlight peeking through the recessed arched window arches placed high on the wall. A soft ruby carpet covered the floor, fading slightly to a burnt orange where the sun hit it, bleaching the color. Wall-to-wall, the room was surrounded by an eclectic of books. The different colored spines contrasted nicely with their dark cherry wood book shelves, adding a homey touch to the spacious room.

Rubbing his nose, the brunet shivered again. The copious grandeur of the room unsettled him. The open door meant something was inside, meaning he was more than likely not alone. He needed to be silent. Spying some marble stairs leading to the second floor, Iruka ascended, instantly beginning his search from a reference guide attached to wall on his left. Finding the division he wanted on the faded paper, he checked his watch. 4:30. It would get dark in about 2 hours.

Iruka quickly ran to the section, squinting now and then as sunbeams landed on his face. Reaching his goal, he found a small metal cart in the way, placed between several reading couches. Shoving the cart to the side, he crouched down and began to pull out numerous books from the bookcases lining the walls, flipping through some and simply discarding others. He got down on his knees, pulled his pack off, opened it, and placed in the books he hadn't cast-off. Deeming his work done, the brunet got to his feet and whirled around, anxious to get out of the foreign building.

Forgetting about the cart in his eagerness to get out of the building, Iruka ran into it with enough force to flip the cart over the railing. Horrified, Iruka froze, his face draining of blood and going white.

"Oh shit."

Seemingly in slow motion, the silver cart spun gently before crashing deafeningly to the floor. A screech of twisting metal rang out, along with the resounding impact that echoed before fading away. The silence following the unexpected noise was palpable. Iruka could hear the thunder of his heartbeat drumming heavily in his ears as he waited. Holding his breath, he backed up from the railing, his back hitting a book case. His stomach dropped as he heard a familiar groaning sound fill the air.

"Haa….ha…huuu….gruhhh…"

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he listened. Fear coursed through his body as he edged off of the wall and inched closer to the railing. He peered over through the bars carefully. Stumbling around the tables was a Runner. It was slightly hunched over, with its beady eyes roaming the room. The bloodied figure moved around sluggishly, searching for the source of the noise. Its torn clothes hung in tatters, trailing behind him as he neared the cart. On the second floor, Iruka glanced around, eyeing the room for anymore unwanted creatures. Seeing no more, he calculated that the single Runner was all that stood between him and the door. If it was just one, he could handle it.

Anymore and he was in trouble.

He kneeled and pulled his backpack back on, securing the straps tightly to avoid making any unnecessary noises. He silently unlatched an well-used ice axe he had taken from a sporting goods store a while back. It had a long blue handle and a sharp black head that was stained with mysterious substances. He fit his gloved fingers into the familiar grooves and crouched behind a set of couches. Keeping his body low to the ground, the brunet neared the stairs, making sure that the Runner didn't notice him. He slyly descended, being extra careful to control his breathing and his footsteps. Thankfully the Runner took no notice of him, still staring at the cart curiously. _It seems to have some sort of intelligence. It can tell the cart was the cause of the noise_. Iruka neared the figure, feeling his heart rate spike as he came up behind it. Reaching back with the ice axe in hand, Iruka whipped his hand forward and rammed the weapon into the Runner's head with a meaty thud. It sunk in deeply, cleaving through bone and brain easily.

The creature screeched and his arms began to flail aggressively, trying desperately to get to the brunet. The force of the blow managed to knock the Runner to the side, causing it to stumble and give the teacher the upper hand. Iruka violently slammed his boot on the Infected man's back, shoving him to the floor. With both hands, he clenched the axe handle tightly and yanked it out, trying to do as much damage as possible. Skull fragments and brain matter came away as he freed the weapon. Gurgling, the Runner stilled and his arms dropped limply to the floor. Blood and infected tissue flowed freely from the wound, painting the ground below. Iruka simply tied the ice axe back to his pack. Years of surviving like this had toughened him up. He no longer felt any sympathy or regret murdering them when his life was on the line. Human or Infected, he would fight.

"Where was the exit..." He murmured, glancing around the room. Both ends of the spacious room were identical. Backtracking, he walked towards the stairs he had come from, hoping to remember.

"Huaaarrrrgggg!"

"Haaauuuugggghhhaaa!"

Shocked, the young psychology teacher halted. Two Runners had appeared, leaping out from the corridor behind the stairs. The Infected turned to him, breaking into a rocky run.

"Oh fuck!"

Iruka cried out, instantly whirling around and sprinting away. He nearly stumbled and fell with the speed of his turn. The Runners screamed and followed, swinging radically as they reached for him. Dread exploded in his chest as they gave chase, running blindly into the labyrinthine hallways behind the opposite set of stairs. He bypassed room after room of furnished reading spaces, decorated with comfy couches and delicate tables. Spying the old broken red "Exit" sign hanging loosely above a metal door, Iruka put on an extra burst of speed as he slammed into it and bolted outside into the sunshine. The door thumped against the outside wall with the force, only to be shoved open again. The Infected Runners followed him stubbornly.

Iruka nearly ripped the holding mechanism of the pack as he ripped off the ice axe and twirled it expertly in his hand, ready to fight now that he was in an open environment and had space to flee if necessary. He spun around and ran at the shorter Runner, quickly jamming the axe head into the creature's chest cavity. He shoved upward, stabbing the ice axe deeper. The Runner froze and twitched as Iruka twisted the handle. His small smile of victory was quickly wiped away as the other Runner smashed into him, knocking him onto the ground.

Grunting and winded, Iruka rolled with the hit, swiftly getting to his feet. Clouds of dust rose in the air. His fingers tingled as blood ran down them from the fall. Looking for his trusty melee weapon, he was surprised to see it still embedded deeply in the Runner he had stuck it in. The creature was now up and coming at him again.

"Oh Jesus fuck, I'm in trouble." Iruka groaned out, scanning the area as he took off running again. His legs began to cramp up painfully as the Runners chased, following him tirelessly. He needed to corner the one with his axe and get it back, but the Infected weren't giving him the opportunity, staying mere steps behind him.

Suddenly, a sharp howling noise ripped through the air. At once, both Infected and the brunet stilled, startled by the abrupt sound. The single howl was joined by many others, gaining in strength and volume. The hairs on Iruka's neck stood out.

 _Wolves? There are wolves in the city_?! He panicked, knowing that if he couldn't survive two Runners, there was no damn way he could take on a pack of ravenous canines. He was a dead man.

The Infected came at him again, no longer interested in the howling noise. Iruka jumped out the way but paused when he spied the pack of animals barreling right to him and the Runners. Astonished, he watched as the wolves sped past him and ripped into the Infected.

Sharp teeth tore into rotted flesh, rapidly eviscerating the creatures. Limbs were ripped off and strewn around in a wet, bloody mess. The Runners were no match for the ferocity of the wolves. Muzzles streaked with red peeled back to reveal wicked white fangs as Iruka tried to step away. Quickly disposing of the rest of the Infected, the wolves growled and circled the brunet threateningly. Terrified, Iruka swallowed heavily as they watched him with red intelligent eyes. He spun around, finding himself completely surrounded.

"Who are fuck you and what are you doing here?"

A deadly, deep voice called out. _Human_. Iruka slowly turned to the voice, surprised at seeing another actual person. It had been so long… His brown eyes fell on a man striding confidently into the wide ring of wolves. The animals barely acknowledged the newcomer, still fully focused on Iruka.

Speechless, Iruka took in the imposing stranger as he took a step back warily. The man was taller than him by a good half a foot. He had silver hair that stood up and defied gravity; it tilted to the left as it trailed off. A poorly placed bandage was covering his left eye, cutting across his face. A black bandanna covered the lower portion of his visage, hiding most of his face. A single grey eye stared at him, pinning him with a glare. He had on a black cotton skin T-shirt stretched tightly over a muscular torso and camouflaged printed cargo pants. Dog tags hung loosely on a small chain around his neck. Black army style boots similar to Iruka's covered his feet, with the laces tied all the way up the shoe flap. What really stood out was the heavy pistol aimed directly at Iruka.

"Grrraaahhhhggg!"

Iruka turned in the nick of time to see a third Runner come running into the group, only to be shot down by the stranger. Calmly, the barrel came to rest on the brunet again. Iruka's senses demanded he take off running and avoid the armed man, but after analyzing his situation he knew it would possibly be the stupidest move he could make. Sure he could try to outrun the man, but he couldn't outrun a bullet, or the man's pet wolves for that matter.

Impatient at the quiet brunet, the man shoved his gun away and closed in on the shorter man. Said man backed up again carefully watched him, judging him.

"I asked you a fucking question." He growled out. Upon hearing no answer, the man lunged forward quickly, grabbing the brunet and knocking him down.

Iruka let out a small yelp as the man suddenly grabbed him. _He's fast_! Struggling, he felt his scarf get ripped off. A thick calloused hand gripped his chin and shoved his face up. Iruka panicked as his neck was exposed.

"What, did they bite you? Are you infected?" The man asked, continuing his brusque examinations. The writhing man beneath him eyed him evilly.

Iruka used his position to drive a knee up into the taller man's stomach. The man grunted in surprise and loosened his grip. Pushing off the ground and rolling out from underneath him, Iruka pulled out a switch blade from his pants pocket and quickly apprehended the man. He fluidly knocked the stranger to his knees and placed the serrated edge of the blade right next to the man's exposed jugular. Strangely, the man didn't struggle. He simply stared at Iruka, watching him intently. His arms hung down by his side, clearly vulnerable.

"No, I'm not infected." Iruka snarled, pissed at having been assaulted and frightened of the man. "And who the fuck are you?" He bit out, remembering that the dogs were still around him.

"I believe I asked you first." The man answered in a bored tone. A grey stormy eye met chocolate brown ones. A single silver eyebrow arched up, waiting.

Iruka didn't move. Keeping the blade snug against the man's throat, he eyed the wolves around him, trying to count them. The silver-haired man watched him, his gaze piercing.

"Attack me and they attack you." He answered the unspoken question.

"Iruka." The brunet replied gruffly, pulling the knife away against his better judgment. He closed the blade and slid it back into its pocket. Stepping away, he walked over to the shredded torso of the Runner that had his axe and grabbed the blue handle. Planting a foot on the exposed ribs, he jerked the axe out, taking with it several ribs. He gave the blue weapon a few shakes to get rid of the Infected goop clinging to it and reattached it to his pack.

"Okay, Iruka. What are you doing here."

Iruka jutted his thumb at the library. "Checking out some books. Isn't it obvious?" He quipped. His shoulders were still tense, watching the man and the wolves. How was this going to end?

"…"

"Look, I'll be out of your hair soon enough. I'm just passing through." Iruka replied feeling suddenly fatigued. A quick peek at his watch revealed that he had only half an hour to find shelter. He adjusted his scarf, wrapping it protectively around his neck. By the looks of it, the silver-haired man ran things around here, with his wolves as security. It would be wise to acknowledge it and leave the man be, lest he get angry and sic his hounds.

"You'd better be." The man threatened, getting to his feet easily. "This is your only warning." With a sharp high pitched whistle using his thumb and index finger, he called back the canines. The wolves immediately relaxed and circled him happily. Taking off jogging, he and the animals disappeared into the inner city, quickly becoming hidden by the debris in the streets.

Sighing heavily, Iruka marched back towards the library. It was the easiest place to settle into, what with all the little rooms it had and actually decent furniture that looked better than anything he had seen in a while. That little incident would have drawn out any remaining Infected, so it was safe to assume he had it to himself. Entering through the door he had previously exited, he made his way back up the marble stairs and into to one of the larger rooms to his right.

It was an exact copy of the small rooms on the bottom floor. Luckily, he chose one that was cozy and relatively in good shape. It was sparsely furnished, with only a few armchairs, a glass rectangular table, and a lone Victorian chaise lounge. The chaise lounge was made of Italian leather, with a mahogany finish. The accompanying armchairs were made of the same material, adding an elegant touch to the dusty, abandoned room.

The beautifully sculpted fireplace displayed on the far right wall was a temptation to the brunet, but he knew better. Chances were smoke could attract Infected. He didn't know how much thinking capacity they retained after changing, but it was best not to push it.

Iruka then turned to see what else he could adjust. Thankfully, the only window in the boxy room had heavy scarlet drapes that blocked out any light, making it an ideal hideaway. Setting his backpack down in a corner of the small room, he then shoved several armchairs up against the door, blockading himself in. He pushed the longer couch opposite the door and underneath the window. Plunking down on the thick cushions, he brought his boot up. Tiredly, he pulled the laces loose and slipped it off, placing it neatly near the couch's leg. Repeating this with his other shoe, he got up and trudged to the corner, grabbing his pack. He dragged it over and settled into the couch, tugging the red scarf around his neck closer. He rummaged through the worn pack and pulled out a wool blanket. Wrapping it around himself, he burrowed into its warmth, seeking refuge from the room's lowering temperature.

As he waited for sleep to claim him, his thought strayed to the stranger. _Who was he_? Obviously the man had some serious territorial issues. Most of the survivors he came across tended to choose a safe place and guard it from looters and Infected, but Iruka preferred to travel. He never found anywhere to call home and just kept wandering. Maybe he would find a place here, just to annoy the man. Common sense told him not to play with fire, but his snarky side wanted retribution. Once it was light out, he'd search for a safer place, preferably man-and-wolf-proof. Iruka curled into himself, closing his eyes. In a matter of minutes, he was sleeping peacefully.

**xXx**

Coming back to the real world slowly, Iruka blinked rapidly, yawned and stretched. His neck was sore from his awkward sleeping position, but it was more or less mobile. Sniffing and rubbing his nose, he sat up, shoving the blanket off. He checked his watch and saw that it was still pretty early in the morning. He had plenty of time to get settled and figure out what to do.

As he could see it, he had two options. One was to pack up and go, search for a new place and repeat. Choice two was to stay here and get accustomed to Josie and his Pussycats. Debating the pros and cons of each option, he winced as his stomach let out a huge growl of hunger and proceeded to revolt. Then again, his food reserves were worryingly low and he doubted he could go much longer running on air. Looks like his choice was made for him.

"Looks like you have a new roommate," He spoke aloud, directing his words to the silver-haired man he knew couldn't possibly hear him. "I'm staying." Grinning wryly as he knew he was playing with fire, the brunet slipped into his boots and tightened the laces up snugly.

"Step one done. Step two, acquire proper tools and plan out strategies." He murmured to himself. Getting to his feet, he walked over to the glass table, latched onto the side of it and hauled it over to his couch-bed. Once it was there, he dumped the contents of his backpack on it and set to sort them out. Medical supplies were set off to one corner of the table. He had a small kit pilfered from an overturned ambulance he found way back, and filled it to the brim with any medicinal items and medical paraphernalia he thought he might someday need. Any water and food items that he still had went to another. This included 5 water bottles, 2 Gatorade bottles of the blue colored variety, 1 bottle of Patron 1500 tequila, 2 small bags of Doritos, 2 slightly softening red delicious apples, a package of mini donuts, a Twinkie, several pieces of dried meat, and a small sandwich bag filled with seeds. Equipment of any sort went into another corner and finally, maps and paper items went to the remaining corner.

"If I'm going to be staying here, I might as well get comfortable. I should find some storage bins or cabinets to bring in here and fix…" Iruka mused. "I should begin searching for more supplies while I'm at it. But first things first."

He picked up one of books he had swiped the other day. It was a yellowing textbook about gardening tip and maintenance. Briefly flipping through the pages, Iruka spotted techniques on how to grow certain types of fruit and vegetables, along with methods to ameliorate any already growing plants. Iruka began to make a mental list of what kinds of items he would need to create a small garden. Reaching into the food corner of the table, he plucked up a small baggie filled with seeds from all sorts of fruits. The brunet knew growing food would take many months and possibly years to get right, but it was better late than never. If he was truly planning on staying here, it was best to get started as soon as possible. He didn't have the necessary skills to hunt and kill animals, nor did he have the heart for it. Throughout the years following the initial outbreak he'd stuck mainly to food that could be cultivated and he wasn't really planning on changing. Standing back up, he slid the book into his pack, strapped it on and tied his ice axe back on.

Time to hunt.


	2. Click, Click, Motherfucker

Keeping as quiet as he could, Iruka carefully entered the dilapidated produce shop through the broken bay window, keeping careful to avoid stepping on the smashed glass littering the floor. His well-worn brown Force 10 size 9 boots allowed only the slightest of noises as he maneuvered around the dirty floor. Outside, the green and white striped tattered and ripped awning flapped weakly in the wind. The rusted metal skeleton peaked out between the rips.

Ignoring the empty khaki metal shelves lying destroyed on the cold checkerboard tiled floor stained with smears of old black blood, Iruka knew better than to examine them for sustenance. Futile searching would reveal what he already knew: the entire shop was desolate, having been stripped in the early years. Bypassing the corroded shelves and walking towards the back, he found what he was looking for. In the back of the shop were old wooden produce crates and sections were gardening tools were kept.

Iruka shoved the crates aside and searched the ground intently. The chances that he would find anything were slim, but he would try. As it would turn out, luck was with him. Tucked away and nearly completely hidden were a set of handheld trowels, shovels, and other necessary gardening items.

Grasping the package, he pulled out his army knife and freed them from the annoying plastic casing. Impressed with the impeccable state the tools were in, Iruka quickly tucked them away into his backpack. "Tools, check." He smiled, pleased with his find. Of course he hadn't thought of a location for his garden, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

The man continued his search, entering into another section of the store; this one surprisingly still had quite a few items. Bags of coal and cooking utensils sat untouched. What it was doing in a produce shop, Iruka didn't know, but he wasn't about to complain. He browsed the sections, searching for anything that might be slightly helpful. Finding some lighter fluid containers, he took a few bottles. They could come in handy.

He left the store, glancing around and looking at the surrounding buildings and nearby houses. It would do him good to get the layout of the blocks around the library but it would also give him an opportunity for some exploring. Keeping an eye out for danger, Iruka trekked over to one of the old apartment buildings he'd spied.

**xXx**

Kakashi watched the man curiously. Out on a routine inspection, he spied the brunet, Iruka, sneaking out of the library. From his position atop of a dilapidated building, he crouched, making sure he couldn't be spotted. The shorter man stopped and gazed around, ice axe in hand before he took off jogging.

"What's he still doing here? I told him to leave…" He frowned, irritated. Having a stranger around bothered his wolf-dogs. It wasn't often he met other survivors, but it was an annoyance. Besides trying to kill him or his dogs, they often intruded on his traps and security measures, fucking everything up. They didn't last long, as this area was pretty badly populated by the Infected. As much as he guarded and protected the city, the Infected kept finding ways. He warned them to be cautious, but no one ever listened. Glaring at the brunet, he shook his head. Despite not knowing anything about him, he was going to protect his home and his canines. It was too risky to trust survivors.

"He should have listened." A dangerous smile slid onto his face as his grey eye darkened. Clicking his tongue, he called forth one of the wolf dogs. This one was a mix between an Artic Wolf and another he didn't know. She had a narrow chest and beautiful slanted blue eyes that exhibited intelligence.

Soft white fur decorated her body, shifting to a light gray near her paws. Sharp ears stood up attentively as the wolf dog appraised Kakashi. The hybrid got to her feet and lazily made her way to Kakashi, butting him with his snout and huffing.

"Let's see if we can scare him away." Kakashi smirked. The shorter man wouldn't stand a chance.

Reaching out, he patted the canine on her head. Sharing a stare with the hybrid, he drew back his hand. The wolf dog barked once and immediately took off, paws scratching on the concrete floor. In a matter of minutes, he watched the white bullet race out of the building and head towards the brunet. Making sure to stay hidden, the canine stopped a few feet away and secretly followed the other man. Kakashi sat back to watch from the shadows.

**xXx**

Glancing up at the sun high in the sky, Iruka shielded his eyes. He then turned to look at the tall skyscrapers of the city, trying to discern a position from the apartment building he was nearing. He hadn't been in a city in a long time and he doubted that it was rational to go blindly into one of the seemingly empty buildings.

"Then again, I'm not getting anywhere standing here." He reasoned, rubbing his nose. "It's now or never."

Facing a rather tall structure, Iruka guessed it had been a hotel. A gaping hole in the entrance revealed a once fancy lobby and several old couches with coffee tables. Piles of bricks surrounded the hole, along with chunks of plaster and wood. Iruka stepped through the hole, cautiously stepping on the dirty bricks that shifted beneath his feet. He looked up at the moldy ceiling and was surprised to see a huge portion of the second floor slanting down and crashing into the lobby. Seeing the extensive damage, Iruka ruled out staying for long as an option.

He gingerly stepping onto the angled ground, testing before fully putting his weight on it. Thick pieces of old rotted wood groaned and crunched under his feet as he moved, causing him to quicken in pace. Reaching the second floor, he moved onto the dryer portions and listened. A slight trickle of water could be heard. Interested, Iruka followed the noise.

He entered a hallway with old brown doors that all were ajar and barely hanging on. Newspapers and coke cans littered the floor, along with old suitcases and dirt. Peeking into the room to his right, he found an ancient mattress that was flipped on its side and torn open. A small bedside table was in a corner, along with a dresser and a closet. Old bloodstains were smeared along the gray cushion; the stuffing was nearly entirely pulled out by a huge chewed hole in the side. The vacant iron bed frame exposed a small medical kit hidden underneath, almost invisible due to the amount of dirt layered on top.

Iruka strode over to the bed frame and reached for the box. Opening it up, he was only slightly disappointed to find several bandages and a sewing kit. Any medicinal items were long gone. Tucking them away in his back pack he continued on his way, moving on to the next room.

Finding nothing of interest, he returned to the hallway, soon reaching the third floor from a set of old wooden stairs. This level had more rooms and a bigger hallway space. The brunet cautiously stepped into one of the new rooms. This one had a broken TV on top of a long dresser, two beds and a door leading to a bathroom.

Murky sunlight peeked through the grimy window that was boarded up and cracked. Walking in, he sauntered over to the boarded window and peered out. The window gave a better view of the surrounding buildings with the library in the background. Outside the window were fire escape stairs and platforms. Appreciating the view briefly, Iruka resumed his exploring. With a grimace he noticed that it had gotten darker as he ventured further into the hotel. He brought out his flashlight from a side pocket on his pack and switched it on, wincing as a bright disk of light exploded into view.

The beam of light fell on various items as he walked on, sporadically moving around with each step he took. Iruka hummed quietly to himself as he scrutinized, making note of everything he saw. Each room, while mostly in the same state of decay, offered a glimpse of someone's past, of a story that had more than likely ended terribly. Despite the tragedy, it was a decent past time to piece together a short story using only a person's belongings.

Arriving at another area, Iruka was baffled to see a huge chunk of wall had been busted outward, exposing the adjacent edifice. Iruka analyzed the gaping hole, poking the dangling pieces of plaster and strips of yellowed wallpaper that decorated the edges.

Metal rods from the building's interior stuck out, bent in odd, jagged shapes. Sunlight filtered by clouds leaked into the room, falling on the moth eaten and stained carpet. Plants had taken root in the molded mattress and grew plentifully, almost vibrant in the dull quarters. Gingerly peering through the hole, Iruka frowned at the drop below. He was several stories high. If he were to fall, he'd land on top of some rusted dumpsters in a narrow alleyway and more than likely break a few bones.

The roof of the neighboring apartment building was a few feet away, easily accessible. Debating, Iruka looked behind him and turned back to the hole. "On the one hand, it's a completely stupid idea and not to mention childish, but on the other it saves me time…" He hummed mischievously to himself, rocking back on his heels. His flashlight was shuffled back into its pocket and his backpack secured tightly. "Not going to live forever anyway!" He backed up, took a running start, and leapt through the huge opening.

He landed clean on his feet on and dropped down to roll off the extra momentum, all the while coating himself with dust. Laughing quietly, he stood and dusted himself off with a few pats. Iruka glanced back up at the opening, he noticed more holes climbing up the building, as if something had been bursting through the wall. "Bursting, or shoving something out…" He shivered. There was only one thing that could do that and Iruka had no intentions of ever seeing or going near it. Adjusting his backpack straps, he trudged over to the hatch leading down into the building.

Carefully lowering himself down, he scowled as he was swamped with the reek of mildew and rot. The cool air felt moist and sticky to his exposed skin. As he hopped off the ladder, Iruka brought out his flashlight again. This area of the building was darker than the previous one; the unnatural darkness left him uneasy. Knowing he was on the highest floor and that it could give at any moment, Iruka hurried along, watching each step and keeping his ears tuned for the slightest sound out of the ordinary. He strode down a corridor, watching as the brass numbers on the doors descended.

Upon hearing a light clicking noise, the man froze, his body tensing up _. Please don't let that be a Clicker…._ He thought beseechingly, feeling his heart take up a staccato beat.

Suddenly, vociferous barking jolted him out of his rigid position. Iruka whipped around, the beam of his light sweeping the hall. _It sounds so close...Is that man back?_ Unsettled, Iruka withdrew his ice axe. Hearing nothing now but his steady breathing and his thundering heartbeat, Iruka decided to quit while he still could.

Turning around, he found his path blocked by an elegant white wolf dog with blue eyes. It watched him intently, its azure orbs shining in the onslaught of light from Iruka. The teacher stepped back, keeping his gaze on the canine.

"Hey boy" He tried, "good boy…" Iruka raised his hands up, trying to convey non-threatening behavior. Being mauled by a dog wasn't on his list of priorities. He held onto the flashlight and ice axe as he put his hands up. The canine hybrid barked at him loudly, pawing at the ground. Iruka frowned and dropped his hands. "What is it?"

_"Craaaeeeeaaa…..Kkkraaaggg….krruuukkk"_

The distinct croaking noise floated up into his ears. Iruka paled immediately and his heart stuttered. It was as if the Gods had decided to fuck with him.

"A Clicker…oh shit.."

The dog hybrid barked sharply again, now advancing towards the still brunet.

"Nononono, shhhh, shhhh!" Iruka panicked, praying with all his might that the Clicker hadn't heard.

The wolf dog licked his chops and unexpectedly took off, hauling down the rickety stairs at the end of the hallway. Shining the light with a now shaking hand, Iruka held his breath as he moved down the hall, following the dog. He had dealt with Clickers before and they were pure, terrifying hell. His hand tightened and loosened around the axe handle nervously, the adrenaline in his system making him twitchy as he waited to confirm the noise. His heart pounded in his ears as goosebumps rose on his arms. He tightened the scarf around his neck, almost to the point of choking himself.

The telltale croaking came again, sounding distant. Mentally planning his escape, Iruka's lean stomach growled loudly, accompanied by a familiar ache. _Christ, not now!_ He quickly jogged down the steps, doing everything in his power to remain silent on the squeaky wood.

" _Graaahhh…..grrrruuuuhhhh.."_

Iruka nearly groaned out loud, hating himself at the moment. Not only was there a Clicker stalking about, but also a Runner. He had lived a short and unfulfilled life. Reaching the lower floor, he was startled to see the dog sitting in the middle of the hallway, his tail wagging and his teeth bared at the teacher.

 _Why is he here_? The brunet wondered anxiously, feeling his fingers brush against crusty paint and broken plaster as he moved down, touching the wall for security. _And where is his master_? He halted as the dog jumped to his feet and began to bark wildly, huge bays that echoed in the hallway. As if on cue, he heard the Clicker shriek in agitation and begin racing towards them. It was on the floor above him. The Runner screeched and jerked, following the Clicker as they both came straight for Iruka.

Still paralyzed and panicking, Iruka watched the dog wag his tail and take off. Chocolate eyes widened as he realized what the dog had done. He had alerted the Infected that Iruka was here, purposefully drawing them! Adrenaline mixed in with a strong survival instinct floored the smaller man, allowing him to finally move.

Running as fast as he could, Iruka darted down the rotted wooden stairs, his heart racing as he heard the Infected give chase. Pushing his fear to the side, he analyzed his position. If he were to engage the Clicker and Runner while in the building, chances were he'd be dead before he knew it. While the Runner presented a slight challenge, the Clicker was by far the more deadly one. He had seen what they could do with their powerful and fatal jaws, having nearly been killed by some. Practically breaking his ankle as he did a sharp turn into another hallway, he tripped as something caught his foot.

Letting out a sharp cry of surprise, he fell hard, skidding a few feet. Before he could even scramble to get up, the Runner fell onto him, teeth snapping and nails scratching. Using the length of the ice pick to hold back the Infected's jaw, Iruka grunted as he tried to shove the Runner off of him. He heard the sound of his flashlight falling and breaking but paid it no mind. Managing to free part of his body, the brunet twisted to the side, jabbing the head of the pick into the Runner and piercing through its vulnerable throat and into the base of its head. Some vile substance began to leak out profusely, soaking into Iruka's shirt and running down the handle.

Still fighting but increasingly sluggishly, the Runner dug his nails into Iruka's arm, ripping his skin. Yelling out, Iruka thrust the heavy body away from him, clambering to his feet. The heavy Runner fell to the floor, finally stopping any movement. Looking up, Iruka nearly fell from the strength that left his legs. Standing a few feet away twitching wildly and breathing heavily, was a Clicker.

Thick, weeping red sores ran along its body, peeking out where its clothes had torn. The skin was a sickly gray color, fading towards white as it traveled up its body, following the roots of infection. Jagged, and rotten yellow teeth gleamed from its exposed mouth, salivating. Right above its mouth were the trademark multicolored fungal plates that sprouted with the Clicker stage of infection. The fungus grew from the brain, breaching the skull and taking over the entire head, growing into the skin and transforming it into more fungal growth. This took away a Clicker's sight, forcing them to use a crude form of echolocation to move about, signaled by their clicking and growling noises.

Iruka could tell it had once been a woman. The ragged gray tank top had once been a snug high brand garment and the ripped and frayed jeans still hugged her body comfortably. Her breasts were showing, now mottled with crusted fungus. Her hands were clawed and disfigured, thick and veiny with light fungal fuzz growing in patches. She swayed as she stood there, seemingly frozen. Slow clicks rang out as she jerked her head, turning to stare at Iruka with her eyeless visage.

Her arms suddenly flailed erratically and she let out an ear piercing shriek as she ran at Iruka, darting forward. The decayed mouth howled and the clicking increased in intensity, becoming frantic.

Breaking from his stupor, Iruka yelped and braced himself, knowing Clickers could outrun humans easily so running was not an option. He steadied his stance, positioning his arms to best defend his neck. Clickers mostly went for the soft tissue of the exposed neck, tearing through the vital area with their sharp teeth.

The Infected creature rammed into him, slamming the brunet into the wall. Grunting, Iruka could feel his heart almost bursting out of his chest as the Clicker's hot breath neared his ear. Terrified, Iruka grabbed onto the disfigured jaw and twisted the teeth away from him, fighting the creature bravely. Using the wall behind him as leverage, he shoved himself forward, thrusting the Clicker away.

He didn't see the Clicker's clawed arm swing by his face as it fell away, dragging its broken nails across his nose and cheeks. A stinging pain erupted on his face only to be ignored as he moved away. Blood dripped from the wound on his face, seeming to rile the Infected up. Reinvigorated, the infected creature attacked again, her arms reaching for Iruka.

Iruka ducked to the side, trying to be a silent as possible. His gasping breath was tough to control with the amount of adrenaline and fear keeping him going. He knew that those in the third stage of infection were blind and relied heavily on sound. He prayed that they just couldn't smell too. He racked his mind, trying to come up with a way to die not. Clickers were dealt with by guns, but since the psychology teacher didn't carry arms on him, he was SOL. The only other way to kill a Clicker was to cut its neck or decapitate it.

Now armed with a plan, Iruka drew out a knife from his vest pocket, still trying to be quiet. The Clicker had its back turned to him, clicking madly as it tried to find him. It jerked to the side when it heard the tinkering sound of a glass bottle rolling on the floor.

As soon as his foot brushed the beer bottle and set it rolling, Iruka knew he was fucked. Caught off guard, the Infected whirled around and launched itself at him, screeching loudly. They fell to the ground, Iruka's fingers digging into the fungal plates as he desperately tried to shove the disgusting face away from his neck. His fingers sunk into the foamy face as the jaws snapped closer and closer to his neck. Iruka found himself feeling a sense of déjà vu, this time with a Clicker instead of a Runner.

"Fuck!" Iruka cried, his arms buckling under the Infected's supernatural strength. He threw an arm out, trying to find a weapon. His fingers brushed the rough surface of a brick. Latching on to it, he brought it up and slammed it into her head, stunning the creature. The moment of reprieve allowed Iruka to jam his knife into the exposed neck. Gurgling and moaning, the Clicker twitched stilled, falling partially to the side.

Allowing his head to fall back in exhaustion, Iruka gasped for clean air and groaned, thanking every known deity for his luck. He wanted to leave and go home to his room in the library. He had no more strength to deal with anymore Infected. Gathering his breath, he kicked off the Clicker's heavy body and laid on the floor for a while, trying to calm his racing heart. The brunet then sat up, wincing at the sore muscles that protested his movements. He wasn't built for one-on-one combat with the Infected; stealth was more of his forte. The man stood and let out a small yelp at the sharp pain that ran across his face when he reached up to rub his nose, as was his habit.

With a huff, he shoved aside his fatigue and slid the knife back into his pocket. Briefly running a hand through his hair, Iruka focused. He needed to leave, fast. He didn't know how much racket the Clicker and Runner had caused, but it wouldn't be smart to stick around to see what else had been drawn.

In the distance, he heard a dog bark.

**xXx**

Once back in the safety and comfort of his room, Iruka dropped heavily onto his makeshift bed and heave a sigh. Calloused fingers reached up and gently touched his face, feeling the torn tissue from his wound. It didn't feel too deep. He traced the length, digits brushing across the dried blood and crusted platelets. It ran from cheek to cheek, right over his nose. He was lucky it hadn't gotten his eyes.

It had been a while since he last fought a Clicker and he had forgotten how taxing it had been. It was too close for comfort how easily he had almost died. Opening his eyes, his stared up at the ceiling, looking up at the decaying and bumpy plaster. His mind wandered to the moment before he was attacked. The dog had been there, drawing their attention by barking. The last time he had seen that dog was right at the man's side _, obeying his commands_. His chocolate brown eyes narrowed darkly. Had he sent his dog out to sic the Infected on him?

Pissed, Iruka sat up, his exhaustion forgotten. How dare that man try to get rid of him in such a low and vile way! He had told him he was just passing by, giving the man no reason at all to try and run him out of town.

"I didn't expect him to roll out the red carpet, but hell, I could have died! …unless that's what he wants. Maybe he's one of the psycho territorial survivors that don't care who they kill as long as they _get_ to kill…" Iruka cursed aloud, his eyes wandering around the room. Maybe it would be best to get his things and leave while he still could. His eyes landed on the book he had been flipping through in the morning and he frowned. "No, I made my choice and I'm staying. I'm not about to run because the big bad bully decided to pick on me." Stubbornly, he reinforced his decision and scoffed. "He thinks he can scare me away? What an ass."

He rifled through his pack, searching for the kit he picked up earlier. Snatching up one of the water bottles inside, he took a sip and made a face at the earthy taste. He would need to rig something up to catch rain soon, preferably before he ran out of water. Picking up one of the pieces of dried meat, he gnawed on it as he removed the kit and opened it up. It was important that he dressed his wound quickly, before it was exposed to any spores. He hadn't gotten infected yet and was dead set on that never changing.

Iruka grabbed few more things before he headed out the door, closing it behind him. The teacher was met with a dark hallway, ominous creaking sounds popping up all around him. As silently as possible, he trekked down the hall, looking for the bathrooms. After a few minutes of careful searching, he found the woman's restroom and entered cautiously, making sure the small lavatory was Infected free. The used-to-be-white-but-are-now-gray tiles peeked up at him from a layer of mossy growth and filth. The doors of the stalls clung for dear life as the rusted metal hinges barely held them up. A large rectangular window ran the length of the wall next to the stalls, high up near the ceiling, allowing for beams of sunlight to fall in and light up the dank room.

Locking himself in, the weary man set down his supplies on the small rusted sink and peered into the dingy and smudged mirror. Tired brown eyes stared back before his gaze fell onto his newest injury. The long wound was relatively small, just deep enough to know it would scar. It followed a line right below his eyes, bisecting his face.

Setting to work, Iruka expertly cleaned and sanitized the cut. He put a few butterfly stitches were the red lips of the slice were far apart and needed to be forced together. Small tears of blood welled up and fell, running down to the tip of his nose. The brunet wiped them away brusquely. Dabbing on some cream to help heal the cut faster, Iruka winced at the burn. Finally finishing up, he bandaged the rest of the wound and proceeded to clean the gouges on his arms. Once satisfied with his work, Iruka capped the ointments and tucked his supplies back into the box. Back aching and bone tired, he left the unsettling lavatory and trudged back to his room, his stomach grumbling. Ignoring his stomach's cry of hunger, Iruka entered his quarters and secured the door, placing his items back where he had gotten them from.

Before settling down to take a nap, he stripped. Iruka unraveled his red scarf, setting it on the couch's armrest. He tugged his shirt up, pulling the well-worn and frayed material over his head, revealing a thin, tan body. Once off, he brought it to his nose and sniffed it, cringing at the smell. He hadn't bathed in a long time, and while it was quite common to smell of perspiration, Iruka yearned for the days when he could shower whenever and easily clean his clothes with a laundry machine. He was going to have to find a source of clean-ish water to wash his clothes and bathe, as well as some for drinking, but he'd had enough adventuring for one day and needed to conserve his waning energy.

Briskly he popped open his jeans and he kicked them off, yanking back on his boxers that had begun to slide down. The cool air of the room caused him to shiver. Clad only in his boxers and a rugged gray undershirt, Iruka tucked himself into the couch, wrapping the thin blanket around his body and quickly falling asleep, dreaming of wolves and dangerous grey eyes.

 


	3. The Seeds of a Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for commenting and for the Kudos! :D Hope you like the next chapter!

The next morning, upon spying the brunet still up and running, Kakashi reprimanded his wolf-dog sternly. "I told you to scare him away. Now he's probably not going to leave." The canine cocked her head curiously before turning away and yawning.

The silver-haired man sighed heavily, running a rough hand through his silver locks. "I'll acknowledge that he's still in better shape than the others would have been, but that doesn't mean anything." The taller man grunted, getting to his feet.

Grabbing the sawed-off rifle he had brought along, he debated going over and talking to the man or simply ignoring him. He'd have to deal with him eventually. The man, Iruka, didn't know that Kakashi had sent his dog to rile up the Infected to attack him, nor did he need to know.

Kakashi pressed his lips together tightly. "Let's say I go over and try to be friends. We get along, and then he tries to kill me, like the other guys did." He turns to the other two dogs loitering around him, holding up a hand. "Why risk it?"

The shorter of the canines huffed out an impatient breath. This one had a thick light brown coat with a darker brown muzzle and ears. He pawed the ground, ready for the hunt.

"Pakkun, patience is a virtue." Kakashi smirked, knowing how eager to go out the dog was. He went back to his original conversation. "Okay, if I keep ignoring him, he'll go out and more than likely get into the traps I've set around the city. If he does, it'll attracted more Infected and he'll be torn apart. Problem solved." The silver-haired man then frowned, a furrow appearing between his eyebrows as he thought. "But if that happens, that mean's there'll be a breach and more Infected will get in, meaning I'll have to deal with them."

One of the dogs whined, shaking his head and lifting a leg up and nudging Kakashi. Ignoring it, Kakashi moved quickly, stirring the animals around him. "Hey, where is he going?" Curiosity peaked, Kakashi got down from the building by the fire escape stairs outside and set to follow the brunet. On one hand he knew he should leave the man alone and only give him light warnings about the traps. But he couldn't help the innate sense of interest in the man. It didn't help that he only had his wolves to talk to; being alone for too long did things to a man.

Slinging the rifle over his shoulder and strapping the band across his chest, he hid behind buildings and trees as he followed the man, making sure to stay hidden.

**xXx**

Itching with the feeling that he was still being watched, Iruka spun around for the fifth time. When he saw nothing once again, he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes scoured the landscape, searching for his pursuer. Irate, he swore he could have felt someone staring at him. Unnerved at the thought of it being an Infected, he kept his guard up and walked faster. Once he managed to get a glimpse of what was trailing him, he stopped in disbelief and managed to keep from scrunching his injured nose in confusion. It was the silver-haired man. But what did he want? Did he come to finish the job that the Infected didn't do yesterday?

Deciding to be the bigger man, Iruka ignored him. If the man tried to kill him again, he would fight. Nevertheless, he didn't have time to waste arguing with the taller stranger, he was on a mission. He followed his torn map to where a river was drawn. It was located just barely outside the city limits, a few minutes' walk from his new home. Normally an extremely cautious man, Iruka concluded that the area was secure to traverse; otherwise, he suspected the silver-haired man would probably be more on guard if it weren't. It seemed logical to believe that areas of the inner city and the housing districts were safe as well. If the man was as territorial as Iruka first judged him to be, then it was certain that he would have cleared out sections of land from Infected.

As he strolled past the dilapidated and broken buildings that lessened as he moved away from the inner city, he cleared his mind, enjoying the scenery. The cool morning air clinging to him felt refreshingly sweet. The sun was shining brightly, allowing warm sunbeams to come down from the sky and heat the earth. While what happened to the human race was devastating, Iruka couldn't help but enjoy the tranquil solitude that was left behind. The pollution brought on by people's everyday activities had almost ceased, dropping even more as the years went by. The shorter man's previous life as a professor at a prestigious university had been comfortably ordinary, something he sorely missed but obviously could live without. He'd taught several advanced classes a week, teaching those who wanted a career in the neuroscience or psychology department. It paid well and he lived contentedly. It was during a fall semester that everything had changed. Now, nearly every person he knew was either dead or Infected.

A bit of an early bird, Iruka enjoyed the crisp mornings when nobody else was awake. It seemed like he had the world to himself. Having no family, he hadn't experienced the trauma and despair that came with losing loved ones. He had cared for his coworkers, yes, but it wasn't the same. On these mornings, he could almost pretend that nothing had changed and that he was still a professor at the University. It's only when he came across the signs of human extermination that the illusion was broken and he was harshly thrust back into reality.

Hearing the light rush of water flowing over rocks in a river, Iruka began to jog, the silver-haired man all but forgotten. His boots dug into sediment as he pushed past several Firs to reach the noise. He broke past the thick tree line and arrived at the river, coming to a standstill. The expanse of water was around 20 feet wide, appearing quite deep. Smooth pebbles of varying colors and sizes cobbled together to make the river bank. Rock deposits and sand were the bank's finishing touches. Lush green plants grew along the ebbing waves of the water, where they gently lapped the shore.

Water flowed downwards, splashing and shining in the sunlight as it cascaded over larger rocks gathered in its basin. The water was startlingly clear, becoming murkier towards the bed. Small fish and amphibians swam about, minding their own business. Chunks of fallen trees poked out of the water like beacons, with algae and other green plant life growing on them.

A wide smile grew on Iruka's lips as he immediately fell in love with the area. It was like a little slice of paradise. Majestic Pagoda trees obstructed the view of the city, but allowed the sun to shine through. Birds fluffed their feathers occasionally as their chatter filled the air. The serene moment was ruined by a sharp splinter of pain in his stomach. Iruka grimaced and pressed a hand against his abdomen, trying to ignore his hunger again. There wasn't enough food to waste on eating right now. He needed to conserve it.

Iruka got down on one knee near the bank of the river and slid his pack off of his shoulders, removing several containers from within. He had several empty water bottles that needed to be filled with drinkable water. Detaching his ice axe, he set it off to the side, leaving it close enough in case he needed it.

Removing one of the cases of lighter fluid he had previously taken from the produce store, he pulled out some rags from old torn T-shirts and ripped pants. He stood and gathered some fire wood, putting the rags on top and dousing them with the fluid. As safe as the area seemed, it couldn't hurt to be quick and careful. The smoke could attract Infected, leaving the teacher in danger.

Taking out a small box of matches, he struck one and dropped it into the rags, standing back as fire immediately flared up. Bright orange stood stark against the green surrounding him, dancing wildly in the breeze. Removing a tiny bronze pot from his pack, he scooped up some water in it and carefully created a stand for it to hang from above the fire. It was a damn good thing his parents had forced him to be Boy Scout and that he had a decent head for remembering things.

As the water began to slowly heat up, Iruka began to take of his shirt, unbuttoning it and setting it down on the pebbly floor. He tugged off his tank top, shivering as the cool air swirled around his exposed flesh, raising goosebumps. Dropping it on top of his shirt, his hands went to his belt, unbuckling it. He removed his boots and his pants, making sure to take out a clean pair from his pack. Well, clean-ish. He pulled off the bandage on his nose, grimacing as it stuck to the dried blood caked on his flesh. It had stopped bleeding and was healing nicely.

Down to just his boxer shorts, Iruka picked up his clothes and waded into the water, repressing a yelp from the bite of the cold water. Only in ankle-deep, he wanted out. He sucked it up and moved further in, stopping until the water was waist high. He let the clothes go, dunking them in the water and rinsing them with jerky moves. Once he finished with his garments, Iruka took a deep breath and dunked himself. It was best to get it done with quickly, hopefully not getting hypothermia on the way.

Mindful of his new facial feature, he scrubbed at the dirt and grime around his wound. He loosened his hair tie, allowing for wet brown locks to fall down around his face. He yanked his fingers through the knots painfully, attempting to keep it from matting. It had grown slowly, but he still was in dire need of a haircut. Iruka then turned and inched back to the shore, his teeth beginning to chatter.

Still following the brunet, Kakashi interestedly watched him begin to strip and swim into the water once he reached the river. His eyes slid appreciatively over the man's slender body, taking in the smooth contours and lines. A ladder of flat abdominal muscles ran down his tan stomach, ending in a V at his hips. Iruka's ribs stood out, indicating that the shorter man wasn't eating well. Besides that, the other man looked fit and attractive. Kakashi knew what he liked and the brunet was quickly moving to the top of his list. It had been years since had last slept with another human being and he could feel the once familiar stirrings of lust awaken, approving of the feisty man and the show he was unknowingly putting on.

Kakashi was never one to cage his libido to only one sex. He found both men and women attractive, often indulging in his desires whenever the impulse arose. Due to his sexual escapades, he never held relationships for long. His eyes narrowed, following the water trail down the tan body deliciously. Kakashi's mouth went dry and his lips parted as he watched the man reach up and pull his hair free from its ponytail position, allowing the rebellious strands to cling to his wet skin. He hummed appreciatively as Iruka almost sensually rubbed the water on his skin and pulled his fingers through his hair. As the shorter man began to leave the deeper water, Kakashi's eyes widened and his pupils dilated as he caught sight of a firm ass clad in wet, tight boxers. His stare zoned in on a particular area, wanting to see the whole package.

The lack of tan lines was a plus.

His fingers twitched as he wanted to run his hands through the wet locks, and yank his head back to lick and bite the tan column of the man's neck. He could already envision taking hold of the damp hair and wrapping it in his fist, holding the man's head in place as he took complete control. He would show Iruka who was in charge, bending him over and fucking him senseless.

Shifting his position, he crept closer, wanting a better view. As he moved, he stepped on a twig, the loud snap jolting him out of his trance like state. He blinked. Dismayed, he shook his head. Annoyed that he was so easily seduced and distracted by the other man, Kakashi stood up and forced any sexual thoughts away. He needed to focus right now and a lustful mind would only get in the way.

Backing up, he jogged away, making sure not to look back. The man might have an attractive body, but he still needed to leave. With a plan in mind, Kakashi realized he might have a time limit. He quickly reached the library, sneaking inside the same way Iruka did.

**xXx**

After peeking into every room, Kakashi finally came across the he presumed was Iruka's. It was obvious from the home touches; a couch had been pushed up against the wall and the red scarf he had seen on the brunet before was sitting in a neat pile on a small table in front of the couch. A couple of file cabinets had been tucked into a corner of the room, neatly labeled with tape and a pen. A map had been tacked to the wall next to the couch, with red circles and lines cutting across it. The drapes had been tugged back, allowing sunlight to stream in. Everything had been organized and fixed in some tidy order.

It was a serious difference from his own chaotic and disordered style.

"Hmm, I should have known he'd be a neat freak." Kakashi mumbled, looking around.

The tall man reached up and tugged down his mask, sniffing the room. His sharp sense of smell picked up an unfamiliar scent, one he couldn't place. Logic told him that it was Iruka's natural body odor. It didn't smell bad, if anything it was better than what he was used to. "Hm." It amused him to know something about the man that was privy only to lovers. Replacing his mask, he strode over to the cabinets along the wall.

He pulled open one of the cabinets and began to pick through it, searching for anything interesting. He soon came across a small bag of seeds. Curious, he let a few fall into his open palm, inspecting them. It was an assortment of kernels, ranging from every fruit he could recognize. _They could come in handy_. Closing the bag up, he slipped it into the pocket of his pants. He shut the cabinet drawer and he continued to the next one, discovering a few meager medical supplies. As he surveyed the stash, he smirked, recalling his own larger and more extensive collection. If the man got bit by a rabid animal or stepped on a rusty nail, he was as good as dead. That is, if an Infected didn't get to him first.

Switching drawers, he surmised that he'd come to the food storage. He found a package of mini donuts, a Twinkie, and a few drinks. He swiped the donuts. Iruka was staying on his land; he might as well take some sort of rent. The next drawer was opened.

**xXx**

Finally done washing his clothes and body in the frigid water, Iruka dried off and dressed in the dry clothes he picked out earlier, quivering as he tried to warm up. The sun was now fully up in the sky, giving him a natural clothes dryer. The teacher then turned to his fire. With his small contraption, Iruka managed to boil several potfuls of water. He poured the clean liquid into the empty bottles and screwed them shut. Packing up everything he took out, he neatly stuck them into the pack. Abruptly seized by the urge to get back to his room, Iruka frowned and slung on his backpack. He tamped down the urge, choosing instead to make an effort to memorize the area so he could return. Absentmindedly, he realized that he hadn't seen the other man since he arrived at the river. He had almost expected to see another dog, bringing more Infected with him.

"What's he up to?" Iruka pressed his lips together tightly, looking around suspiciously. He trekked home swiftly, being mindful to be quiet and avoid drawing attention to himself. Even wildlife presented a threat.

Arriving at the library, Iruka noticed nothing different about his entrance. Uneasy for no reason he could discern, he slipped inside, bolting the door behind him. Greeted by the comfortable and familiar silence the library projected, Iruka jogged up the stairs to his room. His feet gently padded against the marble steps, his room coming into view as he climbed. It was closed, just like always. But the feeling that something was amiss didn't leave him. Iruka removed the ice axe from his pack and gripped the worn handle firmly, steeling himself for a fight.

He thrust the door open, surprised to see the room empty, half expecting to find either the silver-haired man, his dogs, or more Infected. His agitation didn't let up, infiltrating the comfy atmosphere of his room. Everything was exactly as it should be; nothing was misplaced or moved. Eyeing his belongings distrustfully, Iruka released his pack on the couch and set to organize his stuffs. Tucking away the bottles of water in their appropriate section of cabinet, Iruka removed a few pieces of dried meat, needing a bit a protein. His hunger pangs lately had been getting worse and worse, making them harder to ignore and power through. Gnawing on the meat and enjoying the salty flavor, he poked through his possessions, trying to figure out why he was so perturbed.

Iruka found nothing after searching for a few minutes, so he closed the cabinet and twisted back to study his room. "I might just be too paranoid about something coincidental..." Glancing down at the ground, his eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was missing. A few of the precious seeds he wanted to cultivate were on the floor, carelessly strewn about. He spun back to the cabinet and yanked it open, shoving the items around as he desperately looked for the little bag that was his sole plan of survival. He vaguely acknowledged that his mini donuts were gone, as well as a Gatorade bottle and one of his bags of Doritos.

"Nononono…" He chanted, opening drawer after drawer, searching. He knew the bag of seeds wasn't there but kept looking, anxiety driving him. Slamming it shut, he whirled around, absolutely furious.

" _You son of a bitch_ …" He hissed out, hands clenching into fists as his blood pressure skyrocketed.

Anger roared in his chest, crying for retribution. How dare that man try to kill him and then steal his things! Stalking over to his pack, he yanked the ice axe off the couch, gripping the metal handle tightly. Not bothering to put on his satchel, he stomped out the room, dead set on finding that asshole and teaching him a lesson about privacy and pain.

**xXx**

He searched until the sun began to set, forcing him to return. Iruka trudged back to the library, exhausted. He had combed every nook and cranny, going as far as to enter some riskier areas where he spied some Infected but didn't engage them in battle. He had seen no sign of the man nor his dogs; it was as if he was hiding from him, but only God knows where his hideout was.

His stomach growling and a sense of despair clouding his mind, he opened the back door to the library and bolted it as best he could. His mind raced with petrifying revelations. If he couldn't recover the seeds, then all his hard work would go to waste. Hours spent collecting the seeds and the fruit to which they belonged to were for nothing. Dangerous scouting trips and even staying in the library were reduced to nothing. From the things he had now, he could survive for another week or so before running out of food completely but even that was a hopeful probability. He would die.

Angry and worried, he entered the main hall of the library, slowly marching up the stairs with heavy feet. The setting sun cast an orange glow through the huge windows, lighting his path. He appreciated the warmth that it brought, smiling tiredly as he threw in the towel for the day.

Iruka halted when he heard the crinkle of plastic and the distinct sound of a page turning in a book.

Reinvigorated by the noises, Iruka hauled ass to the where he assumed they were coming from. His feet slid on the marble flooring when he found him. Sitting comfortably in one of the old couches and eating _his_ mini donuts, was the older man, with his feet propped up lazily. He was using the waning sun for light, ignoring Iruka.

Iruka blushed slightly as he took in what section they were in, embarrassment overriding his fury for a few seconds. The porn section, where all the books had red tags restricting them for adults only, and where even some DVDs were available. All for educational purposes, of course.

" _You_!"

Iruka bellowed, stalking over to the relaxed man and jabbing an accusing finger at him. The digit trembled with adrenaline and anger.

Kakashi slowly lowered Make-out Tactics regretfully, turning his attention to the brunet standing above him. He briefly harbored the idea of trying one of the tactics on Iruka, curious as to how the man would act. Finding a finger in his face, he tilted his head. "Me?"

"How dare you go through my things!" Iruka yelled, the frustration of losing the seeds coming back in full force. His voice reverberated powerfully in the hall. "What gave you the right to invade my room and take my belongings?! You insufferable, egotistical, maniacal ass!"

Kakashi cocked a brow. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the bag of seeds, observing how Iruka's eyes widened and his yelling ebbed off. The other's accusatory finger drooped. "Are you referring to these?"

Iruka's teeth gleaned in a snarl. "You know damn right I am. Give them back!" He growled, readying his body for a fight. His eyes were glued to the precious bag. His life depended on them.

"I had every right."

The man's simple answer brought Iruka up short, drawing his gaze back to the taller man's face. "…What?" He was disturbed by the lack of emotion coming from the man. It didn't help that the bandanna and eye patch hid the majority of his face.

"You heard me. I had every right. What gave _you_ the right to stay in my city? Why are you even still here?" Was the steely response.

Iruka noticed how the man's posture and attitude transformed. He abruptly went from being nonchalant and relaxed, to intimidating and chilling.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you can't-" Iruka began, ire flaring up as he stared the man down with an equally as dangerous glare.

"Oh yes I can." Kakashi cut in sharply, "I'm the only fucking one keeping this city Infected free. I'm the one that's been fighting them off, even keeping this library clean from them. You come into my city, you play by my rules. You're lucky I've let you stay this long."

Outrage poured from every fiber in Iruka's being, demanding he use Kakashi as a pin cushion for his axe. He was seeing red. "And what? Am I supposed to thank you for stealing my shit?" Iruka bit out, his eyes narrowing. Spying the dog tags on the man's well-muscled chest, he saw his name. "Listen here, _Kakashi_." He spat out, savoring the irritation on the man's face as he said his name. "You will give me those seeds or I will make you regret it. You may be keeping the city clean, but I couldn't care less. Let the Infected fucking loose; it won't matter to me. You can rule over this empty city like some demented king if you wish, but I'm staying here, like it or not. You've already tried to get rid of me; try again. I will not bow, I will not break."

Kakashi was a wholly amazed that Iruka was going toe-to-toe with him, not backing down like the others. He had balls to challenge him directly. It was impressive. Briefly wondering why the bag was so important, the taller man decided to change tactics, trying to throw the man off guard.

"Alright, you can stay." He said easily, relishing the look of utter confusion on the man's scarred face that marked his success. "But I'm keeping this." He tossed the bag up, catching it midair and moving away from the shorter man, casually waltzing past him.

"No! Wait!" Iruka yelled out, clamping a hand on the man's upper arm, holding on tightly. "You can't keep that." Swallowing his anger and pride, and trying to cool his head, he too tried a different approach. "Please give them back." His chocolate eyes met a single grey one.

Amused by the sudden change in Iruka, Kakashi took in the man's meek plea, not liking how beseeching he had turned. Where had all the anger gone? "Why?"

"I just... I need them. Please." Iruka's hand tightened as he pleaded, mentally vomiting at his attempts to sway the man.

Graced with a fascinating opportunity, Kakashi leered. "What would you be willing to do for them?" He questioned, his eyes deliberately falling on Make-out Tactics.

Iruka faltered, his mind jumbled as he tried to guess what Kakashi was thinking. "A-Anything." His eyes followed the silver-haired man's to the book now lying forgotten on the couch. A blush stole across his face as he contemplated what might be going through the taller man's mind, psychologically prepping himself for whatever the man would what. The seeds were that important. "I would do just about anything."

Curious, Kakashi wanted to see how far the man would go when he saw the man looking at his book. "Hmm, I wasn't thinking that. But I'm surprised you would. How vile. Isn't it inhumane to lay with another man? It's-"

Iruka cut him off sharply, ire rising as words he'd heard before spilled from Kakashi's mouth. "I could sleep with whomever I wanted and it would be none of your business. To love another man is completely normal and perfectly natural. A person cannot chose who they fall in love with. Love has no gender boundaries and crosses all ethnic borders." He rattled on, hoping to change the topic to some other form of exchange for the seeds. Despite his prepping, he didn't know if he was capable of using his body that way, no matter how desperate his situation was.

Kakashi's eyes widened as the man lectured him. _Ah, he's a teacher_. Internally smirking, he got his answer to the vague question floating around his head. Iruka might not be gay, but he was open to it. He might be like Kakashi, bisexual. But he wouldn't force the man to sleep with him just for the small baggie. That was lower than even he would go.

He tossed the bag at the teacher, catching him by surprise. He had told Iruka he could stay and now had nothing else to do with him. "Keep it; I have no use for them." Turning his back to the brunet, he strolled away. Expecting no response, he was slightly addled to hear a small "Thank you".

"Tch."

It was only a matter of time before Iruka became one of the countless faces that died because they didn't leave. Curiously, he didn't want the slender teacher to become just another Infected he'd have to take care of. He'd much rather keep him around.


	4. Meat Me Halfway

After Kakashi left, Iruka set the bag of seeds back, tucking it securely behind other items to hide it. He was left uncertain of what to think of the man, thrown off by his sudden change in thoughts. Does this mean he's going to leave me alone? He won't try to off me again? It was an uneasy trust that was being built, but Iruka appreciated it. At least they weren't enemies.

Tired after all of the day's transgressions and hungry from all the energy he wasted, Iruka shuffled back to his room and dropped down on his bed, fully clothed. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, he was soon knocked out, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was still dark outside but he could tell it was morning. The early rays of sunlight popping up over the horizon appeared slowly, gradually spilling into the room through the window and lighting it up. Birds began to tweet and sing outside, a nice cacophony of noise. Sluggishly getting up, Iruka winced as another sharp pang of hunger struck him, grimacing and groaning a bit until it passed. Each one was warning he shouldn't ignore. Stumbling over to his food drawer, he removed a bottle of water and an apple, a little bothered by how soft the apple had become.

Biting into it, he held it in his mouth as he grabbed his pack, filling it with items he'd need for the day's activities. He shoved in the book about gardening, the bag of seeds he carefully retrieved, and a few of the gardening tools. He tied on the ice axe and grabbed his still damp clothes before leaving the room. Finishing the apple quickly, he spit out the seeds and stored them away in his pocket.

The teacher stepped out of the back of the library, circling the entire structure a few times before concluding that the best place to begin planting would be the gated portion of the library, near the main entrance. It was loosely protected, but he would need to fix the gate's lock to begin.

Moving to the gate doors, he eyed the broken padlock before yanking it off and tossing it to the side. Hanging onto the lock's chain, Iruka moved inside and shut the gateway. It moved slowly from years of disuse and screeched as it clicked in place, rattling slightly. Iruka hooked the chain around two bars, binding them together. He wrapped the chain tightly and picked up a stick to jam through the links.

"There, that will do for now." Iruka grunted, finishing up his work. His vision suddenly doubling, Iruka ceased moving as an intense surge of agony hit his gut and traveled up to his head. Panting slightly, he clenched his teeth, waiting for the dizziness and pain to ebb. It felt as if his guts were being twisted in a vice-like grip, burning and hurting with each breath. This was bad, he needed to hurry. Finally the ache receded enough for him to be able to move.

He swiftly inspected his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction before moving roaming the lawn to look for an ideal spot. He didn't have the luxury of waiting for food to come to him; he needed to buckle down and get started. A bed of dying roses and bushes proved to be the perfect location. It had enough room for several different fruits and vegetables to be grown and was primed to be tended.

The brunet quickly yanked up the flowers and weeds with tools from his pack, making sure to dig up the dirt to spread nutrients as the book told him. He then set to pulling out the thick roots from the bushes, moving in to cut them when they were too heavy to be wrenched out. The sun beat down on him, going from warm to scorching hot in a matter of hours. Sweating profusely now, Iruka wiped the perspiration of his brow with his wrist, continuing to clear the bed and finish a large section. As he moved to the next portion, a wave of nausea hit him, forcing him to stop his work and bend over in agony. Gagging and dry-heaving violently, Iruka powered through the pain with pure determination. He would be getting weaker by the day without proper nutrition, a fact he kept reminding himself as he compulsorily continued to dig.

A fierce, piercing needle of pain turned his vision black, causing him to cry out and drop his tools to clutch his head. It was too much.

**xXx**

Kakashi examined the entrance to the dingy high school, looking at the recently busted up double doors and broken glass. He reached out and touched the door frame, feeling bits of dried fungus falling off easily, crumbling to his touch. He had yet to scour the area and clean it of Infected. He liked taking out Infected building by building, reducing the amount he dealt with greatly. Because he did each building separately, it lessened the number that swarmed due to the noise.

Gun in hand, he nudged the door open, peering in carefully. The long hallway that greeted him was empty. Trash concealed the floor, rustling with the breeze brought in by the open door. Sunlight came through the broken windows, highlighting the debris and junk. Textbooks lay on the floor, gathering dust and mildew as the pages deteriorated. Jagged, shattered glass decorated the window frames, creating deadly shards. Blood was smeared around the walls, trailing off into singular handprints that were fading with age.

Never alone, he gave a low whistle and two of his wolf dogs came dashing in, each taking off in a different direction. They would bark when they spotted Infected, drawing them out from hiding and into the open where Kakashi could deal with them proficiently.

While they scouted out the area, Kakashi headed for the cafeteria stealthily. When he reached the entry, he paused.

Scrutinizing the room from a safe point, Kakashi spotted a Runner near the lunch counters, half hidden in the shadows of the room. He slunk back, hiding as he assessed the situation. The Runner took no notice of him, panting and groaning as the fungus painfully took over its body. It looked like it once had been a school teacher, with a ragged suit on. Sick, gray skin peeked out from the holes in the suit, exposing his infected genitalia.

The ex-military man shivered in disgust and swore his twins inverted into his body. Putting his eye to the scope on the gun, he took aim, the crosshair following the stumbling and moaning figure. He absently heard his dogs howling and barking as they found their targets. Pulling the trigger sharply, he watched with grim satisfaction as the Runner's head exploded, spraying gore on anything within the blast radius.

The shot echoed in the large room, reverberated and disrupting the dust.

Done, he left the cafeteria and followed the sound of the barking. He jogged into another hallway, this one filled with graying lockers.

"Raaaahhhh!

"Uwaaahhhhrrraaggg!

Two Runners, one male and one female, turned the corner and spotted him, flailing wildly as they attacked. One swung his arm, trying to latch on to Kakashi to bite him. The other dived at him, attempting to force him to the ground.

Kakashi ducked the arm aimed at him and grabbed it, twisting the appendage while dancing out of the way as the second Runner darted towards him. With his gun he shot the male Runner twice and expertly fired a single shot in the head of the female Runner.

The taller man shoved the body to the side, striding out of the hallway and up the stairs at the end of the corridor. Entering the second floor, he kicked open the door to the nearest classroom, swinging his firearm in an arch spanning the room. Finding it clear, he continued to the adjacent rooms, systematically making sure they were Infected-free.

As he reached the final room of the hall, Kakashi was moderately surprised to feel resistance as he pushed it open further to be able to scoot in. Gazing down, he saw the cause of the hindrance. It was a dead child Clicker. Having perished from not receiving enough food and nutrients to survive, it had stuck itself to the door, the fungus from the brain sprouting up and releasing spores into the air to live on. The entire body was almost indistinguishable from the junk surrounding it, with fungal plates and roots growing thickly from every extremity, distorting the strewn figure. With each shove he gave the door, dust and spores erupted in the air from the corpse, dancing in the sunlight as they spread out.

Revolted, Kakashi pulled on a gas mask, filtering the air he breathed and blocking any dangerous spores from entering through his mucous membranes and eyes. Having served in the military with a high rank, he had been informed of what the Infected were and how they spread their disease. His commanding officers had even given him a fucking pamphlet, complete with pictures and diagrams. The infection grew like bacteria and spread like a virus, making it insanely contagious.

Kakashi brought out a smooshed match box from his pocket and struck a match, dropping it on the body. The dry flakes caught fire quickly, spreading down the length of the body to the roots stretching away. The fire would stop the fungus from spreading anymore spores and reduce the chances of Infecting anyone else. He ignored the niggling thought of Iruka finding a corpse and inadvertently infecting himself.

Advancing to the next area, he found several more dead Infected bodies taking up root. He burned them as well. They were also young students, once thriving and learning in the now broken institution. Watching the bodies reduced to ash, Kakashi made a mental note to drag any remaining carcasses together before igniting them. It would save him some matches.

In the distance he heard barking and left the makeshift pyre, following the racket. If any more Infected where skulking about in the rooms, they would be drawn by the snarling which would spare him the trouble of hunting them down.

Kakashi sprinted down the stairs, alarmed at how close the creatures sounded. Before reaching the bottom steps, he saw his dogs race by with a male Clicker and Runner hot on their tails, screeching and clicking as they went. Acting on an ingrained instinct, Kakashi sprang into action and tackled the Runner.

Taking it by surprise, Kakashi slammed into the creature, grabbing his head and smashing it repeatedly against the floor, caving the skull in and killing it quickly. Speed was a crucial element. Clawed hands suddenly dug into his back, yanking him up and off the Runner. His gun clattered to the floor and slid a few feet away. Not missing a beat, the taller man brought his hands up to grab the Clicker's fungus encrusted head as its rotted teeth tried to sink into his neck.

With a grunt of effort, Kakashi threw the body off, giving himself enough room to reach for a weapon. He procured a bowie knife as he faced the Clicker, dancing out of its grip as it tried to grab him again, its mouth oozing saliva and other vile substances.

He dropped down and rolled behind it. He leapt up and sunk his blade into the fleshy neck, propelling the head forward to further cut through the throat. The Clicker cried out, its arm's still scrambling to get to the silver-haired man. They faltered, falling down to its side limply.

Breathing heavily from the exertion, Kakashi lit the bodies on fire, wincing at the acrid smoke curling up as they burned. He inspected his arm, gingerly touching a slice the Clicker carved into his flesh. It wasn't too deep, but he would need to suture it shut to prevent infection. He was lucky he hadn't been bitten. _This would be easier if I had someone to help me_. He pondered, remembering the teacher. With a proper run down and training, he could probably get Iruka to help take a part in the systematic extermination of the Infected. Though exactly how'd he get the teacher to agree was a mystery.

Tired from fighting, Kakashi wrapped up his wound and decided to go home for a bit of a siesta. He'd come back at night when his dogs were in their hunting prime and he got to use the night scope on his gun. The thrill of finishing off the dangerous creatures was even greater when he had a handicap.

**xXx**

Kakashi peered into the room, not at all surprised to see the owner absent. He saw the teacher more often out of the room than in.

He had decided to drop by the man's 'house' and check up on him, lying to himself about simply needing to see if the man was still alive. It wasn't like he had become attached to a complete stranger after a few conversations, most of which consisted of threats and murder attempts, along with having spied on the man as he bathed. Being alone for a long time truly did things to a man.

As he shrugged his shoulders and forced himself not to explore the other rooms Kakashi headed out the back door, deeming his work done since Iruka was nowhere to be found. He stopped his blasé gait when he picked up a sharp cry coming from the front of the library. The gun sliding into his hand in mere seconds, Kakashi shifted into hunting mode and stealthily crept to the entrance. His mismatched eyes scoured the expanse for the sign of the source; he licked his lips, wetting them so he could whistle if he need to. The taller man came across a small gated door, leading inside of the closed off garden area that the library used for decoration.

The gate was locked with a simple chain and a stick. As quietly as he could, he unwrapped it and stepped through, laying the chain on the floor.

Once inside, his instincts flared, urging him to be cautious. His finger gently rested on the trigger, ready to fire. A few steps further and his eyes fell on a moaning figure on the ground. Kakashi recognized the brown hair and cursed softly. If the man had been bitten, he'd have to kill him immediately. _Figures. The moment I let another person in, they die. How cruel thee are, life._ He guardedly approached, calling out to the shorter man.

"Iruka? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Iruka didn't respond; the moaning stopped. The small school teacher was still, his torso barely rising as he breathed shallowly.

"C'mon Iruka, talk to me."

Kakashi nudged him gently with his foot, pushing him until the brunet was face up, his head flopping around as he was moved. _He's unconscious_. Iruka's face was pale and clammy. His hair stuck to his sweaty forehead in clumps, along with a few pieces of leaves and dirt. Kakashi frowned, examining the visible patches of exposed, perspiring skin. He slowly reached down and patted Iruka's torso, feeling for injuries. He ran his hands down the man's legs and arms, squeezing ever so slightly as his hands drifted over Iruka's thighs. Concluding his analysis, he retracted his hands. _He's not bitten, or not that I can see, so why'd he cry out? What happened?_ Kakashi reached over and grabbed Iruka, shaking a shoulder.

"Oi, Iruka, get up." There was no reply. "Tch." Kakashi holstered his gun and crouched down, hhoisting the man into his arms bridal style. He was disturbed by how light Iruka was, feeling the man's bony ribs through his clothing. It was easy to carry the man into the library, having only a little trouble on the stairs.

He set the body down softly on the couch and then stood back, trying to decipher why he was unconscious. There were no signs of some traumatic physical wound, so that was ruled out. Iruka hadn't expressed any symptoms of an illness, but there was a chance he had caught something. Kakashi reached over and brushed strands of wayward hair back from the scarred face, feeling another pang of guilt of having a hand in him receiving the long scar. He smirked ever so slightly as Iruka leaned into his touch. He hesitated when he heard a loud growl, curiously coming from Iruka's abdomen. Maintaining a medical mindset, he shoved his hand under Iruka's shirt, feeling the caved in stomach. His fingers slid up, dipping into the spaces between the teacher's ribs.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously and he set his shoulders. He'd seen tons of people die from having been ripped apart by Infected; he'd seen his dogs tear apart people like Swiss cheese, he'd even seen some commit suicide, but he'd never seen a death from starving. _Didn't the man hunt for meat? If he didn't, then what did he…_ Kakashi sighed heavily, not believing what he was thinking.

"You idiot." He bit out.

The little bag of seeds. Iruka was probably going to plant them and use them to sustain himself. Kakashi withdrew his hand, shaking his head. It was a good long term plan, if you didn't starve to death before you grew anything. More guilt came to the taller man as he remembered teasing the teacher about taking them. No wonder he was so desperate to get them back; they were his only source of food.

Now he was faced with a choice. Let the man starve to death, or help him. Do what he wanted to do from the beginning, or do the opposite and go against everything he had learned thus far. His eyes fell on the smaller man, remembering what he had told him, no, _challenged_ him. The silver-haired man sighed again, rubbing his chin as he thought.

**xXx**

Iruka came to as something cool was pressed to his lips and poured into his mouth. Swallowing greedily, he began to cough and sputter as more liquid then he could handle was dispensed.

"Don't drown in it, swallow it." A deep and stern voice called out, giving off annoyance in its tone.

_I know that voice…_ Iruka thought, forcing his eyes open. He was met with a bleary familiar bandaged visage. The single grey eye was staring down at him unsympathetically. He felt vulnerable under its scrutiny, almost as if the eye could read his mind.

"Kakashi? What are you doing here?" Iruka questioned hoarsely, sitting up. He looked around, recognizing his room. The last thing he remembered was working in the garden, until his head began to pound and hurt. Then nothing but black. He felt fine for the moment.

"I was leaving." Kakashi stood up when he saw Iruka come back to the conscious world. Ignoring the questioning brown eyes, he moved to the cabinets in the corner of the room. He pointed to the top drawer of a silver filing cabinet.

"In this drawer you'll find rabbit and pigeon meat, separated, cooked and ready to be eaten. It will last for a few days, longer if you dry it out. In this drawer", he smacked another one, "is deer meat, cooked well done. The bottom one has chicken from a farm a ways away and some cases of Spam, still good. I've also taken the liberty of stocking up your meds, adding in a few items you didn't have before and I drank your last Gatorade." He finished shamelessly, feeling that his good deed allowed him a reprieve from punishment for the pilfered item.

Iruka was speechless, staring at the man with wide eyes and his mouth slightly hanging open. "I don't know what to say…" He trailed off, his once intelligent mind failing him. Gratitude filled him, feeling the need to thank the man who had no reason to help him and had even tried to kill him off. Life worked in funny ways. "How could I ever repay you? I mean…." He asked honestly, wracking his mind as he attempted to come up with some sort of adequate repayment. He couldn't even tell what Kakashi was feeling, since his face was hidden.

Kakashi thought for a moment, looking into the distance as he mulled over something in his mind. Finally, he responded. "Two things." He held up two fingers, wiggling them around. "First, you'll have to answer any question I ask you, no limit. Second, once you begin to harvest your little crop there," He waved a hand vaguely towards where he knew the garden was, "you'll give me a cut. Deal?"

Iruka nodded after thinking through the proposition carefully. "Deal. But what questions would-"

"What kind of teacher were you?" Kakashi cut in, moving towards the door. He kept his eyes on the teacher, ever observant.

"I was a psychology professor at a university. Why-"

"Psychology. Good topic. By the way, how did you plan to keep going on if what you intend to grow probably wouldn't sprout until spring?"

Iruka fell silent for a while before responding. "I had more food with me before I came here. There were more people with me, but we were attacked and lost most of what we had. I was the lone survivor and only escaped with what I had on me." Iruka explained, remembering his deal to answer any of Kakashi's questions. "I had to adjust plans once I came here."

"Why didn't you go hunting? I can't believe a person could survive simply on grown produce. You need the protein meat brings." Kakashi patiently asked, as if talking to a small child.

Iruka glared at the man for the condescending tone, but looked down, breaking their shared look. A blush stole across his face, fascinating Kakashi. "I've tried hunting. I'm not good at it, and I can't just kill animals like that. It's cruel." He finished quietly.

Kakashi almost rolled his eyes. Of course the teacher would be a big-hearted softie with a soft spot for animals. How the hell was he still alive? Usually, they were the first to go. That, and the ones that couldn't run fast enough. "It's settled then. Next time I go hunting, you're coming with me." Kakashi ordered, his steely tone booking no argument. "You won't kill, but you'll help skin the meat and cook it, taking some to feed yourself." With that, he left the smaller man alone, walking out of the room and giving Iruka no chance to debate.

Still weak from his earlier hunger induced collapse, Iruka decided against quarrelling with the man for now, building a counter argument for the time the man came to get him to go hunting.

Slowly getting up from the couch, Iruka trudged over the cabinets Kakashi had indicated to him. Drawing one open, he was astonished to see fat, juicy meat stored neatly in Tupperware containers. The plastic boxes even had multi-colored lids, along with the names of the meats scribbled on the outside with a black sharpie. Kakashi had messy handwriting, rivaling a doctor's.

Removing one of the containers, Iruka popped open the lid and began to nibble on the slices of meat inside, knowing that he couldn't stomach much since he'd passed out from hunger.

"Things would go much better if we worked together." Iruka thought aloud, licking his lips. By the taste of it, Kakashi had added some sort of spice to the meat, giving it a stronger and more robust flavor. It was mouthwatering perfection. Iruka savored it while he tucked the box away regretfully to keep himself from stuffing his face. "A sort of symbiotic relationship. Hmm." He pondered, leaning against the cabinet, a thoughtful look on his face.

The fact that Kakashi had been in the porn section, which upon later inspection was considerably less dusty and abandoned than the rest of the library's selection of books, gave Iruka the notion that the man was very sexually active and even went for men, bearing in mind that he had put up no argument when Iruka chastised him and gave him a lecture about loving another male. _A test of some sort? Did I pass?_ His mind had occasionally held the ephemeral fantasy of being in a relationship with the taller man, seeing as they had no one else.

But he and Kakashi in a sexual relationship seemed too ludicrous. He admired the man and was growing to respect him, but he didn't think a bond was possible. They were simply too different, complete opposites. Kakashi was quite handsome and had a sexy, rugged look that was strikingly fetching. Iruka wasn't blind; he knew that Kakashi was physically appealing. As for himself, he thought he was slightly above average. This was confirmed by colleagues that would tease him on his looks, trying to get him to find a cute girl, but relationships were the prime focus of that era; he had too much on his plate as it was to worry about being single. He had the feeling Kakashi would more than likely be in a relationship purely for the physical satisfaction, but it was too early to judge the man. Besides, for all he knew, Kakashi could be disease ridden, similarly to a stray dog on the street.

Iruka frowned, a horrible thought coming to him. "What if he has a furry fetish?" The brunet shivered, thinking of all the canines the man had.

**xXx**

Kakashi sneezed, removing his bandanna quickly to avoid dirtying it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he had a distinct feeling someone was talking about him.


	5. New Companion

After his first day of hunting with Kakashi, after being dragged out against his will and wishes, Iruka nearly vowed to become a vegetarian. His clothes were now disgustedly stained with copious amounts of blood and animal entrails. Kakashi had been strict with him, teaching him the best way to skin and cook the meat, but it had been messy. It had been a day full of instruction and reevaluating one's life style. Kakashi's dogs had tagged along, eating what the man discarded and even catching their own game.

The first animal Kakashi had shot down had been another deer. Thankfully, the man knew how to aim to kill without causing pain. The creature died quickly and Kakashi began to demonstrate how to clean and store the meat to keep it from rotting and wasting since refrigeration wasn't an option. While they didn't eat the deer meat yet, Kakashi caught and killed a rabbit that they did end up eating after skinning and cooking it.

The second day of hunting with the taller man, Iruka proved how much he had retained and fully cooked the creatures Kakashi caught himself, without the silver-haired man's help. Pleased when Kakashi praised him for his much improved skill, Iruka once again began to think about how well they worked together now that he stopped thinking Kakashi was out to kill him and that the man accepted him as a permanent resident. Besides the fact that they were the only two in the city alive that retained their higher thinking capabilities, they worked in seamless tandem, helping each other as they saw more and more of the other as the days passed. Iruka began to appreciate Kakashi's presence, enjoying the time he spent with the man. He found Kakashi a bit of a mystery, intriguing and entertaining.

Carrying home a few containers of meat after another successful hunt, Iruka hummed to himself as he ambled away from their usual hunting ground: the forest outside the city limits. It was an area that was in no danger of being Infected due to the large amounts of animals that lived there. For some reason, it seemed that only humans could get infected and transform into the ghastly beings that ravaged the world. Animals were unable to get the infection, possibly due to some genetic factors within the virus.

He tugged his jacket around him tighter, shivering from the icy wind that was becoming more common. The daily temperature had dropped, falling into the "its-too-fucking-cold" levels.

Iruka turned a corner and walked through a broken building, past the old brick walls that were still miraculously standing. It looked similarly to how a house stands after a hurricane, where the structural integrity is compromised. He stepped over the fallen hunting store sign, his feet further breaking the crushed glass strewn around. The one story building didn't have a roof due to it caving in from rot and mildew, allowing sunlight to sink into the room and fall on all of the empty shelves and displays. His boots crunched on the dirt and rocks littering the floor. He kicked aside mangled neon orange vests and other hunting paraphernalia. Ancient mannequins were propped up in the corners with body parts and foamy chunks missing. Once nice-looking clothing hung on their frames, ripped and moth eaten. One had a fishing hat on, along with a khaki vest and lures attached to the pocket.

The brunet avoided the creepy mannequins that seemingly watched him. They unsettled him with their humanoid figures and staring eyes. He suddenly froze, standing stock still. Iruka frowned, gazing around the dilapidated structure suspiciously. _There, I heard it again!_ Reaching back, he pulled off his ice axe and held it tightly, bending his knees slightly to either run or fight. His heart kicked up a fast rhythm as he strained his ears to hear the noise again. It was a low chance that it was an Infected, but better safe than sorry.

A pitiful yowling cry came from a dark corner of the store. Startled that it wasn't the sound he expected, Iruka replaced his weapon, took out a flash light and shined it into the darkness. It took a few moments to find the source of the noise. He moved in closer and his heart clenched at the sight.

A tiny little black and brown dog lay in the corner, his back paw caught in rusty bear trap. The impaled paw was bleeding, spreading the liquid as the animal struggled uselessly. The dog was small enough that he didn't have the strength to free himself. Sensing Iruka getting closer, the small dog shied away from him, further hurting himself. It let out a heartbreaking whimper of fear.

"Nonono, come here." Iruka crooned, dropping down to his knees as he neared the canine. "You poor thing." He recognized the dog as a baby German Shepard. He reached out a hand and quickly withdrew it when the petite animal began to yip at him in terror, increasing its obviously painful attempts for freedom. Thinking quickly, Iruka opened one of his Tupperware containers of meat and took out a small piece, offering it to the wounded animal.

The dog sniffed at the offering, reluctantly taking it after a few seconds. Similarly to how he felt, the puppy had his ribcage showing starkly against the light smattering of fur surrounding his chest. Iruka fed him a couple of more pieces before trying to reach out again. This time, the dog trusted him enough to let him get nearer. Iruka moved his arms slowly, trying not to startle the animal as he grasped the trap. The teacher pried open the jaws of the snare, grunting with effort as he let the canine loose. The small animal immediately moved away once his paw was freed, limping heavily and still crying in pain. Blood trailed after the paw, painting the ground as the little Shepard struggled to stay upright. The injured paw was drawn up near his belly, the dog unable to put weight on it.

Iruka looked after the puppy worriedly. He couldn't leave the dog to die, it was just a baby! He slowly approached the pup, trying to convey his good intentions with a soft shushing noise and cautious movements. He gently put his hand out allowing for the pup to sniff his palm. Once the dog softly nosed his hand in hope, Iruka delicately picked him up and whisked him away from the shop.

**xXx**

Wrapping the injured paw in gauze, Iruka then scoured the library for a veterinarian textbook, searching for information to help the small dog. Fruitlessly hunting, he came across the empty section where the books would have been. Dust lay in the open area, showing that they were removed a long time ago.

"Where on earth did they go?" Iruka cried, exasperated. If he didn't help the creature soon, he would die!

The small puppy was lying down on the table in his room, nestled in the warm blanket Iruka had selflessly enveloped him in. It sniffled and curled in on itself, in pain and scared. Blood continuously leaked out of its wound, soaking the blanket.

Gathering his resolve, Iruka ran back and took the small dog in his arms, heading out to find Kakashi. If there was anyone that could give him a hand, it was the taller man. Despite the fact that he literally was the only one around that could help, he had plenty of canine friends, meaning that he might have some knowledge on how to fix the puppy's paw. From what Iruka could tell, the bones in the paw were broken and the animal would bleed out soon if the wound wasn't closed.

Although he had no idea where Kakashi stayed, Iruka knew there was a surefire way to get his attention. He jogged over to a hidden alleyway he knew Kakashi frequented due to constant Infected appearances, Picking up a wayward brick, he threw it at the slender trip wire suspended in the air near a fence that cut off the passage. Once the block made contact, a sudden blast was heard and brick pieces went sailing in a cloud of smoke. The loud boom reverberated in the area, the echo fading as the sound waves dispersed.

Shielding the puppy in his arms from the discharge, Iruka waited patiently, petting the dog and smoothing the fur on his head. They had just hunted earlier, so the silver-haired man should still be roaming around. He didn't have to wait long as Kakashi quickly appeared, drawn by the activation of one of his traps set for the Infected. Iruka heard Kakashi before he saw him, listening to his loud footsteps getting louder and louder. The puppy lifted his head up, whimpering in pain and curiosity.

Kakashi ran into the area expecting to see a Runner or Clicker that got caught in his trap, not Iruka with a small puppy in his hands. Kakashi ignored the small animal in the brunet's arms and gave a pointedly annoyed look at the activated trap.

"You do know how hard it is to set those, right?" He griped, pulling some more of the wire from his back pants pocket, unraveling it as he moved over to where the trap once was. "Why do you always set this one off?"

"I need your help but I don't know where you live. How else am I supposed to contact you?" Iruka countered, his arms tightening around the dog, a sense of urgency in the air. "I set this one off because that way, you can't ignore me. You have to come check to see if it's an Infected trying to break in."

"I dunno, a bat signal would be nice. Or maybe you could give me a call." Kakashi turned back to Iruka, mumbling as he began to bend the thin wire around something. "I wouldn't ignore you." He said under his breath, peeking at the brunet from under his arm. Resetting the trap, he turned to the smaller man, giving him his full attention. "Now, what is it?" He inquired, his eyes falling on the bundle of fur in Iruka's hands. "And where'd you get him?"

"He's hurt and bleeding, a lot. I don't know how to help him." Iruka relayed desperately, wanting to save the tiny animal. He moved closer to Kakashi, giving him a better look at the puppy. Keeping the creature close to his chest, maneuvered around to show the wound. "Can you help him?"

Kakashi eyed the small creature critically. Inspecting the injured paw and the amount of blood dampening the surrounding fur, he shook his head. "He's a runt. He won't make it." As much as he loved canine companions, Kakashi knew that the small dog wouldn't survive. It was lucky to have made it this far, but it was best not to prolong its suffering.

"I don't care that he's a runt." Iruka cut in icily. "You will help him and he will live on." He commanded decisively. He glared at Kakashi, not budging an inch. Brown eyes narrowed as Kakashi tilted his head, an odd look on his face.

Kakashi suddenly smiled, his eyes crinkling. He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, if you want me to, I will." Iruka's tenacity never failed to amuse him. It also struck him how much Iruka argued with him when compared to his previous friends. They rarely contended with him, and when they did, they capitulated first, frightened by his demeanor. He held out his hands for the pup, but was surprised when Iruka held on to the dog and nodded.

"Lead the way." Iruka said, his posture telling Kakashi that he wasn't going to let go of the puppy. Chin held high, Iruka arched an eyebrow tauntingly at the taller man.

Kakashi lowered his hands, shoving them into his pockets and slouching. "Well then, follow me." He replied snippily.

**xXx**

Kakashi's home was utterly gorgeous. Compared to the grandeur of his library home, Kakashi's was by far more protected and beautiful. Taking up residence in an old gray Victorian house near the heart of the city, Kakashi had reinforced everything, turning it into a safe haven. The large house was placed in a secure land zone, standing tall and superior among plain structures. Large ornate gates separated the large property, thin lines of wires crisscrossing the metal bars and elevating the level of danger for trespassers. Barb wire laced the top, glinting in the sunlight. The rest of the house was safely cut off from the city, with half an acre of land between it and the buildings. Large trees had been planted around the perimeter periodically, surrounding the property safely.

The house itself had tall turrets that appeared to be renovated into watchtowers. It stood two stories high, with the turrets acting like a third floor. A metal bridge arched between them, with strong support beams bolted to the outside walls. The entire structure appeared to be a well-fortified fortress.

Inside, each window had a mechanical metal sheet that lowered at the touch of a button, strengthening the durability of the assembly. The stairs had the ability to convert into a smooth slide. A basement lay hidden under the kitchen, along with a secret exit in case the house was ever under attack and in danger of mutiny by Infected. Iruka took it all in amazement, surprised by the amount of work Kakashi had put into creating a stronghold.

The spacious kitchen was fully stocked with foods in every available space. Cereal boxes, cans of fruit, cup noodles, and even snack bags of caramel popcorn were there. Sodas and other drinks sat stacked in a corner, making the kitchen look like an impromptu store. The taller man had even created a candy corner, where he placed every piece of sweets he found.

"How did you get all this?" Iruka asked, astonished by the sheer amount of food. He hadn't seen this much at once since the last time he was at a supermarket back before the Infected destroyed everything. "And is it still edible?"

"This house used to be some protected relic by the state, but since nobody's around to tell me no, I fixed it up. The foods what I've picked up over the years. With every person that dies here, I get the food and goods they leave behind. I have more downstairs." Kakashi answered vaguely, leading the brunet into the back room where he kept his entire stock of medical supplies. The room was the furthest away from the door. "The basement's filled with weaponry I've collected, and more canned goods. I have reserved of freeze dried food and some of it is still edible. Beggars can't be choosers."

Iruka absentmindedly wondered why, if the man had all this within his reach, why did he steal his mini donuts? He followed Kakashi into a back room, his eyes widening as the man flipped a switch and the lights came on. Under the harsh white light, Iruka saw that the room was wall-to-wall covered in shelves and cabinets that held a huge assortment of medical accouterments. He noticed that a single blue painted cabinet held medicines for canines, not humans.

Off to the side was a blocky generator that was crudely rigged with the wiring in the walls. It explained why the lights were working. Once again, Iruka was amazed by Kakashi's ingenuity. It seemed like the taller man had an infinite wealth of knowledge that stretched over a wide berth of topics.

Kakashi dragged a small table over to the middle of the room, pushing it towards Iruka. "Here, set him down." He procured a soft towel and tossed it on the table.

Murmuring softly to the puppy, Iruka gently set him down, stroking his back to keep him calm and from panicking. The small animal whimpered, licking Iruka's hand appreciatively.

Kakashi carefully inspected the paw, still thinking that the puppy was lost cause. Iruka watched his pale fingers with hawk-like eyes, noticing every movement. After a few moments, Kakashi went over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a few vials of liquid and a syringe.

"Wait, do you even know what you're doing?" Iruka asked quickly, eyeing the sharp needle in Kakashi's hands. He hovered protectively over the pup, already attached.

"I've read a few books." Kakashi answered flippantly, filling the needle with liquid from the bottle in his other hand. He held it upside-down and tapped the air bubble out. "This will put him to sleep for a while, allowing me to fully see the damage." Kakashi explained patiently, sticking the syringe into the puppy's paw. With a small yelp of pain, the German Shepard stood still, allowing Kakashi to study his injury bravely.

"Did you give him a name yet?" The ex-military man asked mildly, scratching the dog's head to distract him as he fell asleep. Once the small animal was unconscious, he'd start the harder work. He began by resetting the bones in the paw and stopping the bleeding.

Iruka was silent for a moment as he thought. After a long pause, he spoke up. "Raikiri. His name's Raikiri." He shifted around the table, unconsciously moving in closer to Kakashi.

The taller man nodded approvingly. "Nice name." Bringing out a few more items, Kakashi began to stitch up the wound, his fingers quick with skill as they threaded the needle through skin and flesh. Snipping the leftover sutures, he neatly tied it, hyper aware of how close Iruka was to him. He then tightly wrapped the leg up in thick fabric to keep the bones from slipping out of place. Once he finished, he instructed Iruka on how to clean and take care of the wound.

"Just make sure he doesn't stress it and pull the stitches." Kakashi finished, ticking off a list of instructions on his fingers. "Keep him warm and don't leave him alone for long. He'll want to gnaw at it so don't let him."

Iruka nodded, committing what Kakashi told him to memory. He glanced down at the dog and stroked his head gently, feeling the dirt covering his thin fur. Realizing there was an awkward silence surrounding them, he glanced up to find Kakashi staring at him intensely.

Surprised at the concentration of the stare, Iruka reached up and self-consciously rubbed his new scar. "I-is that all?" He asked, his voice almost at a whisper.

Kakashi seemingly came out of a trance when he spoke. "Hmm? Oh, yea, that's it." He said cheerfully, grinning crookedly at the brunet. His bandana tilted with the movement. A pale brow quirked up playfully.

Iruka averted his eyes, feeling a blush painting his cheeks. He could easily imagine the type of smile Kakashi would have on his face if the mask weren't there. The silver-haired man would have a handsome mug, complete with the male model body.

"Well, I guess I better get going. Before it gets dark, and all." Iruka said hastily, trying to fight the urge to rub his nose again. Something about the other man was making his stomach feel weak. Was he sick? Did he catch a cold from being in the light rain earlier? "I-uh, I mean, thank you. For helping him." Iruka gestured towards the sleeping puppy. He went in and picked up the limp form, alert of Kakashi's mismatched eyes watching him. He registered Kakashi nodding silently.

Cradling Raikiri to his chest, he began to make his way out of Kakahi's home, still feeling the strong gaze burning holes in his back.

Kakashi watched him leave, leaning on the door way of his home and crossing his arms. He resisted the urge to call out to the teacher and tell him to stay for a while longer, maybe even spend the night. It was dangerous. He was becoming fond of the man, much like how Iruka was devoted to the dog. He already enjoyed the times they hunted together and whenever they ran across each. He would want more from the man than his friendship but didn't know if he could bridge that distance yet. After all, Iruka was practically still a stranger. But being truthful with himself, he knew what was happening. As calculating and as cold as it sounded, he was waiting for a chance to strike, to show Iruka pleasures the man probably didn't know.

He appreciated how close they had gotten, but he couldn't resist the urges that crept up. Images of watching Iruka bathe kept popping up, further strengthened by being around the brunet so much. He had already taken to masturbating while thinking of sinking into Iruka's welcoming heat too often for his liking. His hand could only handle so much of his over reactive imagination and libido. Being alone for too long had seriously fucked him up.

He sometimes wondered if the smaller man ever thought about him in a different light other than friendship. He vainly hoped Iruka did due to some stray and interesting looks sent his way, but he could never be completely sure. Rubbing his mouth, Kakashi sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he was infatuated with the man but wasn't sure on how to proceed to seduce him. He didn't even know if he should. Upon meeting the kind teacher for the first time, he had tried to get rid of him. He was amazed Iruka still talked to him and even actively searched him out.

And now here they were, the last two males in an empty city. One that was a kind hearted teacher and the other an ex-militant with social problems. One with a seemingly innocent demeanor and mindset, and the other with a dangerous and rough attitude.

Could something even be possible between them?

**xXx**

Groggy and well-rested, Kakashi yawned as he stood from his creaky bed. He brought his hands up above his head and yawned again. Stretching his arms across his chest, he grunted as his bones popped. He scratched his stomach idly, reaching over and plucking a white wife beater from the floor to slip it over his head. The tall man shoved his hands through the frayed holes and tugged it over the muscles of his stomach, humming to himself.

Tugging on a pair of black baggy pants, he stuffed himself inside and zipped them up. Next, he donned on boots quickly, deftly tying the laces up. It was time for an early breakfast to start the morning, followed by another round of checking his traps.

As he was going through his routine, the white wolf-dog approached him. Kakashi fed her scraps from his breakfast, tossing a few in her direction. She jumped up and snatched the bones out of the air before landing gracefully on her paws. The powerful jaws snapped the bone in half, quickly crunching it into pieces. Out of all of the hounds that surrounded him daily, the white one was closer to him that the others. He had been his first companion after the world had gone to shit and everyone he knew died.

Once finished with his usual breakfast, Kakashi wandered over to a side closet in the main hallway. He opened it up and removed a shotgun he frequently used. From a box beside the stand that held more weapons, he picked out a handful of bullets, tucking them away into a vest he slipped on. His bandanna was tied snugly to his face, and his hair was shoved to fall over his scarred eye.

With a sharp two finger whistle, Kakashi stood up and left his home, shadowed closely by several other wolf-dogs. They came scurrying down the stairs, eager to begin. They knew the ritual. It was important to continuously assess the traps he devised, saving him the trouble of finding a wandering Infected while unprepared. Though the traps didn't always go off, sometimes failing when crazed Runners decided to give the city a visit. He knew from experience that perimeter evaluations were absolutely necessary, so they were the first item on his itinerary.

Outside, he shut the door behind him and bolted it shut. He did the same with the gate entrance to prevent unwanted visitors. If Iruka wanted his attention, Kakashi would bet his life that the brunet would set off the same trap again. He had even taken to crossing it on his rounds repeatedly on the off chance he'd catch Iruka casually.

As he took off on the familiar path, he wondered what the other was doing and if the dog he found was still alive. It had been almost 3 weeks since he had last seen the man, giving him the impression that Iruka was staying away from him. He found himself missing the brunet's friendly yet stern attitude and his entertaining company. After going for so long without company and doing fine without it, it was odd that he had taken to Iruka so quickly. Seriously, being alone for such a long time had fucked him up.

Kakashi shivered at the cool temperature of the air, spotting his own breath when he removed his bandanna to adjust it. It had rained the other day for hours, filling his water collecting buckets nicely. Now it was only drizzling icy water.

The city was silent, save for the light pattering of rain falling on the remains of society. There was a gray lighting to everything, coming from the heavy clouds lingering up in the atmosphere. A cloud-like mist hid the skies, cutting off the tall skyscrapers that still stood midway. Bright colors from the signs of once thriving stores appeared subdued. He stepped over some puddles in the muck coating the streets, avoiding dirtying himself.

Droplets clung to his hair, dampening it, but his mane held strong, standing up despite the added weight. He nimbly climbed onto the roof of a small shop, avoiding the huge pile up of cars outside its entrance. His mind drifted back to Iruka. He only managed to catch glimpses of the teacher here and there, but they never met as often as they used to. Fortunately, their next hunting date was scheduled in a few days, something Kakashi was looking forward to.

He hopped down from the roof onto a group of dumpsters with a loud bang and splash of pooling water, keeping his eyes open for any Infected drawn by the noise. Strange. Kakashi found himself actively searching for virtually any signs of Infected, more so than before Iruka had appeared. He left his home increasingly often, not at all trying to see if he could run into Iruka, and even heightened his extermination methods, being more cautious and thorough. Was he unconsciously trying to protect the other?

"Or I'm just becoming paranoid."

Kakashi snorted, studying the crowded highways exiting the city. Rusted cars and broken trucks lined the interstate, long ago abandoned by their owners. Grass had shoved its way up in between the cracks in the street, creating huge dips of green in a sea of gray. Some cars tilted into the holes, forever stuck. Even army trucks were trapped amongst the civilian ones, posing no help whatsoever.

Climbing onto the roof of a sedan to see further ahead, Kakashi pulled out a pair of binoculars from a pocket on his black jacket and peered ahead, making sure that the waist-high barrier he had built out of loose bricks was still standing. One of the very first things he did after realizing that he was alone was to seal the main streets and highways into the city, limiting what could enter or leave. It would trap the Infected already inside, and hinder the arrival of more.

The wall stood strong, spanning across the lanes, marking his territory. Thin wire traps were set all around the base of the barricade, ready to make as much noise as possible if it was ever broken. He had several more staged in key places around the city.

Kakashi was jarred from his thoughts by the unrestrained barking of his furry companions. He twisted around towards the noise, spying his wolf dogs chasing something that was hightailing into the suburbs. Jumping into action, Kakashi sprang off the car with a thud and took off after them, unslinging his sawed-off shotgun. He squinted as rain dripped into his eyes, making his world blurry before he wiped them away.

His dogs finally cornered the creature, surrounding him in the inner city area. Instead of the snarling and the ripping of flesh he was accustomed to hearing when Infected met his dogs, Kakashi was startled to see his canines curiously sniffing something and yipping in excitement. The cold rain did nothing to inhibit their enthusiasm.

Nearing the circle of fur, Kakashi grinned. It was Raikiri. But he hadn't seen any signs of Iruka being around…

Bending down on one knee, Kakashi pulled his modified weapon over his shoulder and reached out for Raikiri, allowing him to sniff his hand before petting him. The dog appeared to be healthier and taller since the last time he saw him. While his body was still small, his paws were big, indicating that he would grow tall and strong. He could tell Iruka had taken great care of him, just like he said he would. Kakashi smiled crookedly; the brunet never ceased to amaze him.

His fingers brushing something in the wet fur around the puppy's neck, Kakashi tugged at it. It was a blue collar with the name 'Raikiri' on the tag, etched crudely into the surface of a smooth silver pendant. His smile widened. Of course Iruka would give his dog a collar even when he didn't need to.

The puppy shoved his head further under Kakashi's hand, demanding to be scratched. With a small chuckle, Kakashi complied, now using both hands to vigorously pet. While appeasing the dog, he secretly regarded the injured paw, noticing it had healed exponentially with trace amounts of fur sprouting in the area. It was a very good sign. Raikiri darted away, drawn by his much taller relatives into playing. Growling playfully, he gnawed on the white wolf dog's tail, chasing it when she pulled away from him. In turn she would nip lightly at Raikiri, shoving him over easily and laying her heavier paw on his back.

Kakashi rose to his feet, his body beginning to shiver as the cold rain seeped into his thick clothing, chilling his skin. "Alright, let's go home." He called out and clapped his hands to get their attention, wanting Raikiri to come along. If Raikiri stuck around, Iruka would have to come by and talk to him to see if he'd seen the dog or enlist his help to find the mutt. Either way, it was a method to see the teacher without seeming like he wanted to, which worked perfectly for him. With a spring in his step, Kakashi made his way home.

The dogs began to trot after him, Raikiri happily tagging along with his new pals. Impishly, Kakashi quickened his pace and the wolf dogs enthusiastically followed suit. He shifted into a spring and the canines then chased him with Raikiri barely managing to keep up. Used to intense cardio workouts, Kakashi grunted as he stayed ahead of the pack, though he knew they could overtake him at any moment. Seconds later, the puppy began to cry as he fell behind so Kakashi stopped running, his chest heaving as he tried to suck in oxygen and slow his momentum. He marched over to the tiny dog, feeling sorry for him. Raikiri mistook the pity for another game, weaving in and out between Kakashi's legs. As the man bent down to take the mutt into his arms, he felt the street under his feet crumble and give way.

"Oh fuc-!?"

A huge cracking sound erupted in the air as the world rose around him. He was falling. Mismatched eyes shot wide open as his arms struck out to grab onto something, anything. In a millisecond, Kakashi was shrouded in darkness, hearing only splashing noises and the loud cries of his dogs.

His body nearly seized as he was doused in freezing water, his muscles clamping as he absorbed the sudden shock. His mind shut down as his head cracked into something hard, leaving him unconscious in the watery depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, a cliffhanger :D


	6. Unconscious Desires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's! Hope you guys like the new chapter.

"Raikiri!" Iruka called out, worried for his new pet. He gazed around, hoping to see the familiar figure racing towards him. He cupped his hands around his mouth and tried again. "Raikiri!" His yell echoed around him, falling silent after a few seconds. The German Shepard pup had dashed out as soon as Iruka opened the library back door to take him to the bathroom and hadn't returned. He had been gone for almost two hours now.

The ice-cold rain worried Iruka, who still wasn't sure if the puppy could handle being unaccompanied in the chilly weather. He couldn't help but picture Raikiri shivering, cold and alone, his paw reinjured, while he waited in the warmth of his library room. He hated having the small animal out of his sight.

"Maybe I should ask Kakashi if he's seen him…" Iruka nibbled on his bottom lip, vexed. He didn't want to bother the man unnecessarily. He already felt he was a sort of burden to the taller man, always needing his help and always running into him while the other was doing important perimeter checks. He was probably sick of seeing so much of Iruka. He had been alone all this time and most likely didn't appreciate the sudden invasion of privacy. Sure he liked being around him, but that didn't mean that Kakashi liked being around _him_.

He missed the other man. He had deliberately stayed away, giving Kakashi his space. It was thanks to him that he was still alive, having been saved by the taller man more than once. He owed it to him to give him the solidarity he wanted.

Deciding that asking the silver-haired man was the best choice, Iruka began to march towards his house, recalling from memory the path Kakashi led him down. He reached an avenue that once was one of the busiest streets in the city. Iruka walked across on the four lane road, feeling oddly small and insignificant among the giant skyscrapers and wide streets. A quick glance at the empty stores showed hollow shells of what they had once been. He passed a coffee shop, longing for the bitter taste of his morning coffee. It had been years since he last had it and he still had strong cravings for it. It seemed almost trite that he would want something like coffee back in his life, but it had been a staple of everyday normalcy. Back in his home city, his favorite coffee shop now sat vacant, similarly to the buildings around him. There was nothing left but the ghost of his memories to reignite the dormant ache for companionship.

Iruka averted his gaze, not wishing to go down memory lane yet again. He had done his share of mourning; it was time to focus on the future. And right now, his only pet was missing.

"Raikiri! Come here, boy!" He shouted, his concern for his pet augmenting as rain began to fall down harder, pattering loudly on the empty cars lining the street. He wrapped his scarf around his neck tighter, thankful for the protection of his jacket. The rain fell into his hair, leaching down to his scalp, chilling his skin.

The unexpected piercing barking of several of Kakashi's dogs caught his attention, making Iruka change directions and curiously head to see what was wrong. He held a hope that Raikiri was with them, or at least that the puppy would hear the woofing and be drawn to it.

Much to his relief, he spied his German Shepard pup howling alongside Kakashi's pack. He smiled as he saw the puppy trying to imitate his much larger counterparts.

He whistled sharply. "Raikiri!" Iruka shouted sternly, a reprimanding scowl on his face. "Where have you been!" He admonished, using his teacher voice.

To his surprise, the canine ignored him, still baying with the other hounds. They kept shifting around, moving in a circle while looking down at something. Iruka drew closer, noticing a huge hole where they were surrounding. Peculiarly, right next to the gaping orifice was a shotgun.

"What on earth are you looking at…?"

He trailed off, staring in horror as he peered down. Iruka's stomach dropped to his feet and his heart skipped a beat. A pale figure lay seemingly lifeless at the bottom of the pit, half submerged in the accumulating rain water. Kakashi's entire lower body was underwater, but his head lay on a thick piece of broken concrete. His eyes were closed and his bandanna lay askew, revealing a thin, straight nose. The portion of the street had fallen through after years of water erosion and neglect. The water had eroded the tar and allowed for accumulation at the bottom, creating a pool of stagnant liquid where subway tracks used to be.

Immediately dropping down to his knees, Iruka strained to get a better look at Kakashi and gauge his injuries. He could see blood caked in the silver strands of Kakashi's hair, the rivulets dripping into the water. The man wasn't moving.

"Kakashi! Oh shit, Kakashi! Answer me!" he cried out, not daring to try scaling down to the hole. The surrounding street could also cave in, leaving them both stuck. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" He chanted, looking up and around, searching for a way down. His eyes fell on the entrance to the underground subway a block down; the set of stairs that dove down into the earth and led to the series of tunnels. It was possible that he could get down there and see if he could find Kakashi!

"Don't move, I'll be right back!"

Iruka leapt to his feet and took off towards the subway entryway, almost falling down the steps as he flew down them. Raikiri went with him, excitedly howling and yipping as he misjudged the situation. The psychology teacher tried to keep a clear mind, knowing that Kakashi's life was on the line; that is, if he wasn't already dead. Iruka yelled in frustration as the tunnel was gated with a thick padlock blocking his passage.

Old tattered construction tape prohibited entry, closing off the area for repair. Forgotten wheelbarrows and corroded construction tools lay scattered around, owners nowhere to be found. Rattling the gate angrily, Iruka seized a nearby rusted shovel and slammed the trowel into the padlock, hoping to break it.

The lock cracked with an earsplitting ring, fueling Iruka with more energy. He brought the shovel up again, this time aiming the lip of the spade right at the breaking point, driving it home with as much strength as he could muster. The resounding strike vibrated up his arms, forcing him to drop the tool, the lock following closely behind.

Iruka peered into the darkness of the tunnel, pausing to let his heart and his breath return to baseline. There could very well be Infected lurking inside. It would be suicide to go down there without a weapon. But there was no way in hell he was leaving the other man down there. Iruka ran back to circus of dogs and grabbed Kakashi's gun, making sure the man was still there. Assured, he jogged back, Raikiri and the white dog at his heels.

He snapped on his flashlight, nervously shining it around the concrete structure as he stepped walked in. He had foolishly been yelling and making so much racket, that he was surprised Infected weren't pouring out to rip him apart yet. The deep passageway was utterly silent, heightening Iruka's senses to unnatural levels. Recalling that Kakashi was in danger, he began to move a little faster, hoping that his two companions would warn him if an Infected appeared. He knew the white wolf dog was experienced and hoped that Raikiri would pick up on the skill; it couldn't hurt to have an extra set of eyes and ears at his disposal.

His feet tapping lightly on the concrete as he walked, Iruka shook as the coolness of the tunnels enveloped him, oozing through his clothes. The glow from the outside world faded the deeper he went, abandoning him to the pitch black with only a meager flashlight beam to light his way. The pitter-patter of rain quieted the further he walked, leaving only the sounds of his breathing and footsteps, along with the pads of paws. He was uneasy.

Occasional drips of water pinged through the darkness, echoing lightly. His measly flashlight ray trailed on the ground spastically, revealing old mottled rat skeletons and disturbingly large cockroaches. The insects scurried out of his way, with live rats running across the light with squeaks of fear. Turning the flashlight to the right showed the canal of water that had accumulated where the train tracks had been. Small ripples of water winked at him, popping up in his peripherals as he walked.

"Gaaah….gruuhhhh….muuuuuaaaagggg."

Iruka's heart nearly gave out as he bit down to keep a cry of surprise from coming out of his mouth. Clamping a hand down over his lips to reinforce a barrier against noise, Iruka shut off his flashlight, leaving himself in total darkness. Unable to see, Iruka closed his eyes, straining his ears to locate the creature by sound. The hairs on his neck stood up, and his knees shook slightly.

His skin crawled sickly as he realized how much at a disadvantage he was at. If it was a Runner, he could easily outrun Iruka. His superhuman strength would kill the teacher, who idiotically hadn't brought his handy ice axe. It didn't sound like a Clicker, but if it was one, he could now greet his angel of death. He silently growled at his two furry friends, inwardly yelling at them for keeping silent and not warning him. He clutched the gun tightly, swallowing heavily.

"Groooaaaauuuuhhh."

Slow, dragging steps echoed the wails, making them more ominous and foreboding as they drew nearer. Terror slivered down his spine, jumpstarting his heart into overdrive. He barely restrained himself from making a run for it, but instinct kept him grounded. Besides, he couldn't leave the silver-haired man alone. Kakashi had helped him when he'd been out cold; it was only right to return the favor.

The moan was closer, coming towards him ever so slowly. Iruka suppressed a groan of fear, trying to recall his previous anger. It wouldn't help anyone for him to be frozen, too scared to move or act. He had two options. One was to engage the Infected, _blindly_ and shoot. The other was to engage the Infected, _blindly_ and strangle it. Running away was no option and neither was dying. But if he shot, he'd probably attract more, more than he could handle. It was too risky for him to shoot, so that left…..

The image of Kakashi lying dead in the bottom of the hole fixed in his mind, Iruka tapered down his horror, permitting it to momentarily be locked away. Taking slow and controlled breaths and trying to stop the trembling in his hands, Iruka listened carefully for the Infected coming his way. Hoping for the best for his dogs who he couldn't worry about right now, Iruka backed up until his rear hit the concrete subway wall, pressing himself up against the cold surface. The gun's strap lay heavy against his chest, put away to free his hands.

Eyes still closed, he pictured the man or woman coming at him, shuffling along mindlessly. The nearer the sound, the more coiled Iruka's muscles became and the faster his heart raced. His raised his hands up, putting them at a height he estimated for the person, attempting to discern at where their neck would be at. Iruka would have to move fast, attack before he was caught. Sweat dotted his forehead, mixing in with the rainwater.

"Gaaahhhhggggorrrraaah."

There!

With the sound as close as Iruka would let it be, he moved faster than a snake, striking out and miraculously grabbing the creature by the neck. Clamping his arms tightly around the struggling person, Iruka held his breath, his arms straining from the amount of force he put into his hold. He held his eyes closed, praying that he wasn't making too much noise to attract more.

He tried not to think about how rough and foamy the fungal plates felt under his touch, how disgustingly warm and dry the body felt as he tightened his grip for all he was worth. Iruka shivered as it gurgled and groaned, rocking against him. Inadvertently inhaling, a vile odor crawled into his nose and caused him to gag in revulsion and almost release the Infected.

Hair that was not his own touched his face slimily, sticking to it in soggy clumps. Clawed hands scratched at his shoulders, unable to break the fabric of his jacket and shirt. Ignoring the Infected's attempts to free itself, Iruka held his breath and clenched his teeth, trying to keep it still and himself from crying out. His arms hurt from the force and he was quickly getting tired.

Once the body finally stopped jerking, Iruka held on for a few seconds more, allowing for certainty; it was better to be safe than sorry. Relaxing his grip incrementally, his arms went slack. As the body began to slip away, Iruka lurched forward and grabbed the corpse. It would do no good to start making noise now. He bent down and pushed it towards the edge of the walkway, hearing it slowly sinking down into the murky water. Iruka dragged in a ragged breath, nearly choking as his oxygen-starved lungs rejoiced. He shuddered and wiped his face furiously, disgusted at being so close to the dangerous creatures, hating being so vulnerable. He fruitlessly wiped his hands on his clothing, crawling with the urge to shower and disinfect. Iruka wouldn't be able to do that again but here was no time to rest; Kakashi needed him. He brought his flashlight back out, snapping it on with a trembling finger. He walked.

He kept his strides long, immensely relieved to encounter no more Infected as he finally spotted a circle of light that came from above and the body right below it. He spied several canine heads peeking down and watching silently, solemn. Kakashi was at the bottom of it, _conscious_. He appeared to be trying to sit up, moving around sluggishly.

"Kakashi!" Iruka cried in elation. The man was alive! He sprinted the rest of the way, reaching the other man in no time.

Kakashi winced as his head moved faster than it should as he turned towards the familiar voice. "Iruka?"

"Jesus, I thought you were dead." Iruka's voice wavered slightly as he closed his eyes in relief and sighed heavily, blowing out a breath in a big gust. "Don't do that to me." He whispered, opening his eyes and giving Kakashi a dark, unreadable gaze.

"Nah, you can't get rid of me so easily." Kakashi joked, his heart stuttering as he heard Iruka's hushed request. Not knowing how to respond, the taller man chose to pretend he hadn't heard it and looked down, secretly rejoicing that the teacher had been so worried about him. "How'd I get here?" Kakashi asked, nearly biting his tongue as he discovered how _cold_ he was. His teeth beginning to chatter furiously, Kakashi tried to stand, astonished that he couldn't feel his extremities. That wasn't good. He paused when he felt Iruka's fingers gently twining in his hair, the only warmth on his body.

Iruka put away his flashlight and crouched down next to Kakashi, avoiding the puddle of water. He reached out and searched for the wound on Kakashi's head gingerly, trying not to hurt the taller man. The remarkably soft hair parted easily, allowing Iruka to find the nasty cut effortlessly and inspect it. He grimaced, reminded of his own recent wound. _Looks like we're even now_. It would need stitches to heal properly and would probably scar. Luckily, it was bleeding lethargically, aided by the cold water.

"That's what I wanted to ask you." Iruka commented easily, relaxing now that he knew Kakashi was alright and not dead. "I came out looking for Raikiri but found you here instead. My guess is that you fell down and got knocked unconscious…are you alright?... _Kakashi_!"

The silver-haired man's head had suddenly flopped forward, his body following it. If not for Iruka's quick grab, he would have plunged head first into the water. He was out cold again.

Iruka's mind raced as he panicked inwardly, trying to decipher why Kakashi was out again. The heavy man was limp in his arms, almost dragging him down too. Iruka's hand accidentally dipped into the water and he yelped in shock, pulling himself and Kakashi back immediately. The water was glacial, chilling the blood in his chest. _Kakashi has been in here for God knows how long…oh fuck! I have to get him out!_

Hyperthermia, pneumonia, frostbite; Kakashi was at the mercy of those conditions if he stayed in the water any longer. He clipped his flashlight to his chest, tying it down to stay in place. His hand were going to be full. Iruka hooked his arms under Kakashi's and began to pull him out, struggling with the weighty body. He grunted with exertion as he tugged, grinding his teeth.

While he considered himself lean and fairly fit, Kakashi was thicker, built with more muscle and toned to perfection. Jaw aching and thighs straining, Iruka dug his heels into the concrete ground as he heaved the silver-haired man out of the pit of water. He loosely recalled that the subway tunnels could be filled with Infected, but the danger of them was far from his mind with Kakashi taking the brunt of his concern. He would not let the man die. Iruka briefly contemplated using a fireman's carry to take Kakashi out, but knew he didn't have the upper body strength for it. He settled for dragging him slowly, avoiding too much noise and saving himself a modicum of back pain.

His muscles screaming with exhaustion and shivering with cold, the teacher pressed on, not giving himself a break. It was frightening to walk with his back fully exposed, but Iruka didn't allow the fear to take over, whispering soothing words to deaf ears. "I hope you know you'll owe me. I'll be keeping you to it, so don't think we're dying just yet." The beating of his heart pounded in his ears like a drum, heavy and thunderous. A few times he almost lost his grip on the other's sodden clothes, desperately readjusting his hold in dread of Kakashi rolling into the river of water inundating the tracks.

When he finally reached the steps he descended earlier, Iruka chewed his bottom lip as he formulated a plan to get the man up the stairs. The smaller man shuffled Kakashi to lean on a wall. He could drag him up, but that would elevate the injury count to the man, something Iruka wasn't too keen on doing. He ruled out carrying Kakashi up the steps, seeing as how he was struggling to lug him around, carrying him would harm them both. Besides, his thighs were already suffering with the amount of lactic acid that had built up. His strength reserves were nearly out.

Loud barking startled him and he spun around defensively, his hand going to the gun; Raikiri and the white wolf dog came bounding out of the tunnel, greeting him happily with tails wagging wildly. The older dog had red and black blood all over his snout and paws, with bits of clothing stuck to its sharp teeth as he bared them. Raikiri held a similar appearance, but to a lesser degree. Iruka realized that he hadn't even heard the dogs since he killed the Infected… _They must have snuck off to deal with more of them,_ Iruka thought, taking back his earlier complaint about them being useless. If anything, they were the reason he hadn't seen more creatures.

Grunts and groans coming up in the darkness behind the canines had Iruka jumping into action and the hounds turning to face the blackness, growling darkly. Vicious teeth snapped in aggression as they prepared to defend Iruka and Kakashi. With claws scraping concrete, they took off back into the tunnel.

"Dragging it is!"

Iruka yelped, decided speedily as he jerked Kakashi back in his arms and took to the stairs. He latched his arms together across Kakashi's chest, hauling him up as fast as his body let him. Keeping himself at an awkward angle to avoid falling over from the other man's added weight, Iruka began to perspiration even more with the effort, imploring all the deities he remembered to give him a break and keep the Infected from appearing.

Each step up was excruciating, with Iruka forcing his trembling legs to work harder to support Kakashi's limp body. His eyes stayed on the tunnel expecting Infected to come pouring out at any second. Reaching the top step and breaking onto the surface of the street, Iruka pressed Kakashi down on the ground safely and ripped the shotgun off. Sliding the bolt to load, he watched the subway entrance, ready to meet the diseased creatures. They came.

Iruka hesitated for a millisecond as he recognized the Infected that came rushing out as small school children, all with heavy levels of fungus growing on their prepubescent bodies. In total, three came out; two girls and one boy, all searching for him. _They must have gotten past the dogs somehow_. Silently, Iruka took aim, standing protectively above Kakashi's body. They were no longer innocent kids, but a sick disease in the guise of human children. They deserved no mercy.

He shot the boy in the arm, knocking the small body down. The Psychology professor ignored the shrieking of the two girls, sliding the bolt back and forward. He aimed again and executed the one he previously hit. The two remaining were now squawking stridently and running up the stairs, ready to tear him apart.

Iruka calmly shot the taller girl in the head, her body tumbling down the stairs with her skull following it. The last child snarled at him, claws and teeth bared. Iruka reloaded just as she reached the top step before them. The shorter man stuck the barrel of the gun into her open mouth, depressing the trigger. In a cloud of red and yellow, her head exploded violently, sending debris from her brain everywhere. Iruka ducked, holding his breath. A twinge of sorrow lanced his heart. While he knew the girl wasn't human anymore, and therefore not alive, he still felt horrible destroying her, as if he'd killed her.

Shaking the feeling away and ignoring his sore body, he re-hooked his arms around Kakashi and set to taking him home.

**xXx**

With a drawn-out groan, Kakashi pried his eyes open, wincing as pain pierced through his mismatched eyes. Squinting, he blinked rapidly, urging the ache away. As he waited for his vision to clear, he took a quick inventory of his body. After the analysis, he concluded that he felt like shit. His head was hurting like a motherfucker and his body felt like he had gotten the shit beaten out of him with a two-by-four. Kakashi was cold, but not like the soul-sucking cold of before.

He moved to get up from his horizontal position on the floor but a firm hand unexpectedly pressed down on his chest and forced him back. It took a millisecond to realize that he was shirtless and not in his house. Thankfully, his bandanna was still in place, masking his immediate scowl.

"Welcome back to the world of the living."

Jolting slightly at the familiar voice, Kakashi peered up to meet tired brown eyes. Slightly confused, Kakashi glanced around to see that they were in Iruka's room, on the floor to be precise. He was practically lying on Iruka, with his head in the brunet's lap. Behind the teacher, the fireplace crackled, breathing warmth into the cool room and bathing the brunet in an orange aura. His warm hand was still on Kakashi's chest, tenacious.

"Iruka?" Kakashi croaked out, his throat feeling dry. Attempting to clear it a few times, he was grateful when the teacher let him sit up and handed him a water bottle. He downed half of it in a few seconds.

"You've been out for a while." Iruka relayed, averting his eyes from the silver-haired man. Kakashi's incredible and flawless build brought warmth to his hand where they had made contact. It was one thing to stare and touch an unconscious man, but a completely different thing when the man was awake. His hands would remember the silkiness of Kakashi's muscular chest for all eternity.

It was forever burned in his mind how he had spent nearly two hours holding onto Kakashi tightly to warm him up, trying to use his own body heat as he knew it was the best option when dealing with potential hypothermia. The brunet had feared the worst when Kakashi's pulse had slowed dangerously, leaving his limbs tinged with blue and unnaturally cold. In a panic, Iruka resorted to using friction to rub the pale extremities back to a normal body temperature. Kakashi's hands were rough and scared, a texture Iruka unintentionally committed to memory.

After noticing color come back into his pale skin and Kakashi's pulse increase in strength, Iruka had changed his own clothes and had wrapped a blanket around them. He had taken the taller man's soak shirt off and had decided to leave his pants alone. It wouldn't be right to undress an unconscious person. The teacher had nearly taken Kakashi's mask off too; he had been curious but ultimately held out. Ashamed of his behavior, he removed his hand off the pale chest and rubbed his nose scar, tracing the length along his face unconsciously.

"How long?" Kakashi inquired, giving the window a fleeting glance. The drape covering the glass hid the outside world from his gaze. It had been morning when he had set out to do a check…

"A couple hours. I was beginning to think you weren't going to wake up." Iruka confessed, hiding his earlier anxiety when the taller man wouldn't stir. Though he couldn't hide his relief when Kakashi had finally begun to stir.

"Too bad for you, I did." Kakashi cracked a roguish grin, noticing how Iruka wouldn't meet his gaze or look at him. His grin slipped into a frown. "Did something happen?" He leaned in close to the brunet, trying to catch his eyes. He could feel the air getting heavier between them the closer he drew...

Iruka was startled at Kakashi's proximity, a blush dusting his face. He absently realized how smoothly Kakashi moved, similarly to a tiger. The man was a natural predator. Leaning away from the scrutinizing eyes, the teacher scooted back a bit.

"N-no. I just need to close the cut on your head." Grabbing the supplies he had taken out to care for Kakashi's wound, Iruka held them out almost defensively in front of him, creating a safe space between them. Kakashi's piercing gaze had him on edge.

The taller man noticed Iruka's odd behavior and pretended to be oblivious. If it was important, he'd figure it out sooner or later. Kakashi reached up and gently carded a hand though his silver locks, hissing when his hand made contact with the newest addition to his body. He had a long gash slicing across his scalp near the back of his head. He removed his hand, studying the small amount of blood on his pale fingertips.

"I've been soaking it with cold water so you wouldn't feel when I started to stitch it shut. Do you want me to finish up, or wait until you're asleep again?" Iruka asked, forcibly keeping his gaze on Kakashi's face. Why had he taken the silver haired man's shirt off again?

Fiddling with the dog tags around his neck, Kakashi turned around, presenting the back of his head to Iruka. "Go ahead and finish up." He said softly, trying to decipher the palpable tension in the air. It was blatantly obvious that something had gotten to Iruka. Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. Had he said something while he was out cold? Did Iruka know how he felt?... A strange nervousness entered him, giving him the peculiar urge to bail. Frustrated with his own indecisiveness, he tried not to think too deeply about it.

He practically jumped when tentative fingers softly parted his hair and began to poke around his wound. In an effort to distract himself, along with an attempt to figure out what could have happened, Kakashi began to strike up a casual conversation. He nearly bit his tongue when the bite of a needle entered his cold scalp, threading through his flesh.

"How did you get me here? And where are all my dogs?"

Iruka eagerly responded, needing an outlet from the tension in the small room. He relaxed as he tugged the string into a neat pattern, effectively closing the wound bit by bit.

"You passed out while in the tunnel and I just dragged you back here." He purposely skipped over the part where they had been attacked by Infected children. "As for your pets, they're outside the door and in the other rooms. They wouldn't leave without you." Iruka finished with a smile. It had been a struggle just to get them out of the room. He pressed his lips tightly together as he finished sewing Kakashi's skin, fully closing the gash.

"Sounds like them." Kakashi grinned, knowing all too well how the wolf-dogs tended to act. Family stuck together.

"I'm done." Iruka said cheerfully, snipping the excess string off. He tied it neatly and began to clean up his mess.

Kakashi stood up awkwardly. Spotting his shirt lying a few feet away, he walked unsteadily towards it. He hesitated when a wave of dizziness hit him, splitting his vision into someone's twisted version of 3D.

"Whoa." He complained, shutting his eyes as he tried to rectify his vision. A shot of pain forced him to stoop over, right above his shirt.

"Kakashi? Are you okay?" Iruka asked worriedly. Could it be that Kakashi's head wound was more severe than he originally thought? In a world where most of humanity was gone or Infected, proper medical treatment was rare, especially since medical staffs were the first to begin to change. He stood up and walked over to the taller man, eyeing him carefully. Lists of possible cerebral damages ticked off in his mind, each worse than the last.

"Just a little light-headed. Must of hit my head harder than what it looks." Kakashi mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut and hunching over slightly. The vertigo was making him nauseous and his world felt as if he were on a boat, rocking back and forth. Iruka's warm hand on his shoulder anchored him.

"Concussion?"

"Probably."

"Look at me." Iruka ordered, staring into Kakashi's eyes when the man finally turned around. Bringing out a tiny handheld flashlight, Iruka shined it across the grey eye in quick strokes, gauging its reaction. He noticed that the pupils contracted slightly, and that Kakashi was looking a bit cross-eyed.

"I'm not a doctor, but I'd say that you do have a slight concussion." The teacher brought up a hand and held out two fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Seven."

"…" Iruka gave him a level look.

"Alright, two. I'm concussed, not blind."

"With you I wouldn't be surprised." Iruka quipped, smiling a bit. He hadn't been checking out the man's sight, just his depth perception. He turned back to his bed as Kakashi slipped his shirt on. "It's gotten pretty late. And since you're in no state to be moving around at night, you're staying here." Iruka decreed, nodding his head.

"Says who?" Kakashi asked, plopping down on the sofa-bed. "Who are you to boss me around?" He joked, discommoded with the idea of sleeping in a room with another person. He might trust Iruka now, but that didn't mean he was completely comfortable with being unconscious around him…willingly unconscious that is. That was a level he wasn't willing to hand out, but given the circumstance, Iruka had already displayed only good intentions.

"Says the one with the PhD in psychology." Iruka retorted. "And the one that just saved your ass." He scrutinized his room, trying to find a comfortable accommodation for the man. He could offer the couch, but that was his bed and he wasn't inclined to give it up. But it was the only thing close enough to a bed… He could search the other rooms, but he was positive the conditions were only worse.

Kakashi could see the cogs turning in Iruka's head as the brunet was deep in thought. He grinned, amused. "No need to fry your brain, Iruka. The floor's fine for me."

Iruka chewed on his bottom lip. "No, you're my guest." It was ingrained in him to be a good host, end of the world be damned.

Kakashi snorted derisively. The world had gone to shit and Iruka was still being courteous. One of a kind indeed. "I'm complacent on the floor. You can have your bed-couch-thing." To reinforce his statement, he slid off the bed with slight grunt and settled himself near the fireplace. He lay back, placing his hands carefully behind his head as he relaxed. Kakashi closed his eyes and was silent for a beat before cracking a lid open to see what the teacher was doing.

"Well if you insist." Iruka shrugged. He then began to toe his boots off and get his worn blanket, giving Kakashi his spare. Dropping into the couch and settling in, he stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows of the fire dance around. After a while of peaceful silence, he spoke. "Are you still awake?"

"Aren't concussed people supposed to avoid sleeping?" Kakashi's voice was pleasantly gruff.

"You have a light case, I doubt you need to go so far." Iruka yawned, burrowing deeper into his only blanket.

"Yes, Mr. Iruka, whatever you say." Iruka could hear the teasing tone.

"Hey, it's _Professor_ _Umino_ to you. If I were any stricter, I'd take points off for that." Iruka grinned. "Dr. Umino is also acceptable, as well as 'your lordship'." He turned his head to peek at the silver-haired man. From his position, he couldn't see Kakashi's features, just his silhouette. The other man was gazing into the fire with his wide back to the teacher. Iruka gave a tiny smile, finally allowing his body to fully relax. His aching frame cried in relief as tender joints and sore muscles were given a break.

It was silent again. The crackling of the fire filled the room, broken only the small the rustling of Iruka adjusting or Kakashi shifting around. Outside, a strange roar of noises began to creep up. Not familiar with it, Iruka's eyes shot open and he sat up when he realized what it was. The sheets rustled loudly as moved.

"Some of them like to roam around at night. It's mainly Clickers, so if you want to go outside, I'd advise against it. They have the advantage over us."

"Do they go out every night?" Iruka whispered, unnerved by the noise. It was the typical Clicker sound, just magnified greatly and coming from a variety of sources. _Just how many are out there?_ The sound brought chills down his spine, making the hairs on his neck stand out. _And where do they go?_ He rarely saw Infected during the day, which he assumed was Kakashi's doing, so where did all these come from?

"Yea. I'm surprised you haven't heard them before." Kakashi answered just as softly. "You've been here for a while now."

"I'm usually a sleep by now and I'm a pretty heavy sleeper." He twitched with agitation as the clicking increased behind his back, right by his window. It didn't sound nearby, but it was too close for comfort. It triggered his sympathetic nervous system's need for fight or flight.

As if sensing Iruka's displeasure, Kakashi decided to use his earlier bargain. "So what were you doing when the world went to shit?" He asked, keeping his voice low. He watched the fire, admiring how the wood was reduced to ash before his eyes and watching the swaying motion of the licks of fire. "Do you remember?"

Thrown off by the question, Iruka fell quiet for a moment as he thought. "I remember."

Kakashi heard swishing as Iruka lay back down. He waited.

Iruka heaved a sigh, recalling memories that were painful. "I was teaching my second class of the day, right around twelve. I don't remember the date, but it was nice and sunny, with a light rain that had just ended. I didn't bring an umbrella that day and my shoes got wet. I was in the middle of lecturing the class about the lobes of the brain, focusing on the frontal lobe and a man named Phineas Gage." He paused for a heartbeat. "And then we heard screaming in the hallways. I ordered my students to stay as I went to check it out. In the hallway I found a teacher wrestling with a student."

Iruka could vividly remember the shock of seeing a fellow teacher getting torn to shreds by a student covered in red with disgusting bubbling pores on her skin. The student had thick veins bulging on her face that were throbbing and splitting her yellowed skin open. Clumps of hair were easily torn away when the teacher tried fighting back.

"He was a professor of Philosophy. We didn't really talk," Iruka continued, "I would just see him on my lunch breaks. When I ran over to help him, it was too late. He was….headless. The student came at me, but was tackled by the campus police. I got back to my class to calm them down and found that another student was under attack. These were two well behaved kids, both straight A undergraduates. The taller of the two bit the jugular vein of the other and then turned on me….I had to fight her off, I had to protect my other students." Iruka faltered, lost in the bitter memory. "Another student had come back from his baseball practice, so I took his bat and ….killed her. She kept trying to come at me."

He clenched his hand in a fist. "I tried to reason with her, but she didn't stop until I made her. After that, it was all over the news. Something was in the water, in the air, the food; conspiracy theories, aliens, you name it. All speculation but no facts. I spent some time trying help, but it became harder as everyone was bitten or killed. Still surprised I made it this far." Iruka quipped, hoping to lighten the heavy mood. "What about you? What's your story?"

Kakashi absorbed what the brunet had told him, keeping quiet. Unlike him, Iruka had a _cleaner_ story to tell. Reluctant to tell but feeling the need to share, he relented. "Right out of high school, I entered the Army. College wasn't an option for my family, or one I even wanted to pursue. One day, my squad gets called in. We were required for "crowd control" for some issues that were going on in a city. No problem, we can handle that. Getting there, we see just his _huge_ fucking bloodbath going on, with people running around like it was the end of the world. Most were dead, lying on the streets in puddles of their own intestines and blood. Others were screaming and fighting off those attacking them. We went in, killing off the ones doing the attacking. At first it was just a couple, but then more and more of them began to appear, coming in massive amounts."

The sounds of the shots and screams echoed in Kakashi's mind vibrantly. The utter chaos, the massive bloodbath; it was forever imprinted in his mind. He had been scared shitless and was desperate to follow orders and live. Gunpowder and the smell of burning flesh stung his nose. "When we had some semblance of control, we began to scoop up the survivors, creating quarantine camps and safe locations. Our main job turned to keeping people in and making sure we got rid of the monsters. During a routine checkup, it turns out that one of our own had gotten infected. He attacked civilians, spreading the disease, forcing us to take him and them out to keep control. Shit hit the fan and everyone in the camp pressed the panic button. They began to fight us."

Kakashi sighed heavily, rubbing his face through his mask. He closed his eyes against the rush of memories. "The lieutenant ordered us to kill them all to preserve some sense of peace and control. We shot down hundreds of people, day and night. Innocent or infected, it didn't matter, it was just a massacre. It wasn't like we could tell which was which anyways." He said quietly, the pain of remembering easing as he talked. "At one point, they just blurred together." He was glad he couldn't see the other man's face and the disgust that would be there. He was still in shock at his own behavior years later, but had learned to deal with it. "When there was no one left, I split, deciding to go on my own."

Iruka silently listened while Kakashi relayed his story. It was brutal, cruel. "Do you regret it? Killing all those people?" He whispered, not wanting to break the atmosphere that was in the room.

"Would you blame me if I said no?" Kakashi asked just as quietly.

A heartbeat of silence.

Iruka carefully analyzed his thoughts and spoke slowly. "No, I don't blame you. You've come this far from your decisions and it's what's been keeping you alive. While I'm in no position to blame you, I understand why. This is a punishing world we live in now; our perceptions of our own moral and ethical boundaries have shifted drastically. We as humans learn to adjust fairly fast and our thought processes change as well. You may have killed innocent people, or you may have prevented more of the virus from spreading and killing even more people. The world is full of 'ifs' and whether we like it or not, we deal with the consequences of our choices, not knowing the outcomes. Back then, everything was almost in black and white, with varying shades of gray. Now, it's mostly gray, leaving us to go by our new morals and inborn instincts. In conclusion, I don't."

A little tired of the heavy atmosphere, Kakashi rolled to his side, looking towards the lump on the couch he knew was Iruka. The teacher's words alleviated a guilt he hadn't he had. He felt oddly appreciative. "But enough of the sad talk." He said bluntly. "And since I'm concussed, it's your job to keep me up."

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Iruka retorted, amusement evident in his voice. He was grateful for the change in topic, but the emptiness left by the cessation of talking made the moaning and clicking outside more evident.

"You're a psychology teacher. Tell me something interesting about the brain. Teach me, _sensei_." He snickered at his own brilliance. He knew that was Japanese for teacher. Who said porn didn't teach you anything?

Mollified, Iruka grinned, amused. He brought forth the rusty teacher attitude that he had used only when teaching and choose a topic he covered early in a semester. "Hmm, okay."

He took a deep breath, feeling pleased when the information he called forth came easily. "The human brain is divided into five major divisions: the mesencephalon, metencephalon, telencephalon, diencephalon, and the mylenecephalon. The mesencephalon divides into two sections called the tectum and tegmentum. The metencephalon includes part of the reticular formation, pons and the cerebellum. Your mylenecephalon includes the reticular formation and is composed largely of tracts carrying signals between the rest of the brain and the body. The diencephalon is home to the thalamus and the hypothalmas. The telencephalon is the largest division of the brain, and deals with most of the complex functions of the mind, such as voluntary movement, interpreting sensory input, mediating complex cognitive processes like learning, speaking and-" He stopped when he heard a light snore.

The professor arched a brow. "Are you seriously sleeping or is that a comment on my teaching abilities? Upon no reply, Iruka squinted over at the figure in front of the fire. The stable rise and fall of Kakashi's chest proved he was sleeping. Satisfied, Iruka closed his eyes and drifted off to a dreamless sleep, lulled by the silver-haired man's steady breathing.


	7. The Calm before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Last chapter was a bit exciting right? Let’s slow things down, shall we? ;D

“Iruka. Wakey, wakey. Irukaaaaa.”

Feeling something grab his cheeks and purse his lips, along with another aggravating pronunciation of his name, Iruka’s eyes slid open as he tried to focus on the figure leaning over him. The hazy sleepiness soon abated and allowed him to see Kakashi’s bandanna-ed face clearly in the grayish light penetrating the room. The other man’s eyes crinkled as they met his confused gaze.

“Maa, you’re finally awake. You’re a heavy sleeper.” Kakashi remarked, not paying attention to the death stare Iruka gave him. He pressed Iruka’s lips together, forcing the full lips into a poor imitation of a fish.

“What do you want?” The teacher groaned out tiredly, slapping Kakashi’s hand off his face. He sat up and glanced around the room, noticing how dark it still was. “More importantly, why did you wake me up? The sun’s not even out yet.” He grunted, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

“I wanted to show you something.” Kakashi continued in a gratingly cheerful voice. “Hurry up. It’s not gonna be for much longer.”

Unable to coherently think of a counterargument, Iruka let out a long groan before sluggishly moving off the chaise. “This better be worth it.” He growled, squinting at the dark ground for his boots. After a few seconds of blind patting, his fingers brushed against the familiar rubber sole of his shoes and he tugged them on, yawning again. He wiped the yawn induced tears from his eyes and stood up, swaying slightly.

Kakashi grabbed his pack and threw it at him, excited to get moving. Watching the brunette almost miss the bag, Kakashi threw open the door to the room and whistled loudly, calling his canines. Removing his fingers from his mouth, he turned back to the teacher glaring at him.

“Fuck, did you have to do that?” Iruka grumbled, wincing at the ring in his ears. He grudgingly slid on the pack and grabbed his red scarf, wrapping it around his neck snugly.

Kakashi grinned widely. _Looks like someone isn’t a morning person_ , he though in amusement. “Because reasons.” He quipped jovially. “Now come on.”

Iruka complied and walked to the door, Kakashi following him closely. They walked in silence to the exit of the library, followed by a horde of excited canines. Iruka pushed open the exit door only to have his sight was stripped from him.  
  
“What the!” He cried out, startled. He reached up and felt a soft cloth covering his eyes. Irritated at the lack of warning and sensory deprivation, tan hands moved to pull the blindfold off.

Kakashi reached over and stilled Iruka’s hands. He faced the brunette and tsked. “Hold on, I said I wanted to show you something and it has to be done right.” He ordered, amused by the way Iruka’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s just for a little while longer. Trust me, it’s going to be worth it.”

Sighing, Iruka figured he might as well go along. God knows how long Kakashi would keep pestering him if he resisted. He nodded once, feeling Kakashi let go of his hands. Tempted to yank off the offending material, he crossed his arms across his chest. “Alright. What is it?”

“That’s the spirit.” The taller man dropped his hands to Iruka’s crossed ones and tugged a limb free. “Just follow me and try not to fall.” He began to walk backwards, keeping Iruka in his sight. Kakashi towed Iruka along, going slow to avoid any accidents. As soon as Iruka fell in line with him, he turned back around, leading the teacher towards his surprise.

Feeling uncomfortable, Iruka twisted his hand to grip Kakashi’s wrist tightly. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to let me walk there by myself like a big boy and _then_ putting the blind fold on? Right before the big reveal?” It was incredibly unsettling to be walking around without seeing anything. Besides the fear of falling, the fear of getting attacked was clawing up Iruka’s spine.

“Nope.” Came the annoyingly simple answer.

“…hmpf.”

Fighting the urge to rip off the cloth, Iruka settled for trudging along slowly, focusing on try to decipher where Kakashi was leading him. The crunching under his feet was a clue that they weren’t on concrete, meaning they were in an area with dirt. The springy smell of grass and trees meant that they were in a wide open area –oh, back on concrete. Tar? Their footsteps sounded a bit flatter, more echo-y.

The cool morning air tickled his nose, causing him to shiver;  It actually felt a lot warmer than previous days. Although he wasn’t much of a winter person, he couldn’t wait for the snow to begin to fall and blanket the world in white.

“Walk faster. I’m not gonna let something happen to you.”

Pushed out of his thoughts, Iruka snorted. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one being blindfolded and led around.” Behind him, he could hear the clicking of nails and snorts of curiosity that signaled the presence of the wolf-dogs. He pictured Raikiri among them, grinning at the thought of his little guy among the top dogs.

“But I’m the one keeping you safe.” Kakashi retorted. “I’d say that job is harder.”

“Would be easier if you’d let me see.”

“Not until we get there.”

“How do I know you’re being honest? For all we know, you’re hallucinating from the concussion you got yesterday.”

“You’ll have to trust me.”

“Helluva trust exercise you’ve chose.” Iruka sniffed.

Kakashi suddenly paused, causing Iruka to blindly bump into his back. He reached out and clutched Kakashi’s shirt tightly. “Alright, you’re going to have to be extremely careful, but there’s a ladder in front of you. I’m going up first, so I’ll be there to help you at the top.” He turned to his dogs and petted the closest one, tugging loose his shirt. “You all have to wait here patiently.”

“If I fall and crack my head open, make no mistake, I will haunt you until a Clicker either rips out your throat or you die of old age.” Iruka said frostily, not liking the idea of recklessly ascending up a ladder he couldn’t see.

“By all means, go right ahead.” Kakashi replied with a cheeky grin hidden under his bandanna. “You’ll just have to suffer my revenge once I meet you in the afterlife.”

“No fair. My revenge for my ladder murder will be haunting you. That means that we’ll be even once you die, so you making me suffer afterwards would entail me to get revenge for that, subsequently forcing you to retaliate and vice versa.” Iruka argued, hoping to stall the silver-haired man from his plan. “Thus creating a never ending cycle that doesn’t need to happen if I take this off now.”

“Too much talking. Not enough climbing.” Kakashi called down in amusement, watching Iruka look towards the sound of his voice. “Just stick your hands out and you’ll feel the bars. It’s bolted, so don’t worry about it moving. It’s a short climb.”

Grumbling to himself, Iruka obeyed, reaching out until his fingers brushed a cool, slightly rusted metal rod before him. He ran his hand down the length, trying to see how much room he had. Gripping it tightly, he reached up with one hand and felt the next one and hoisted himself up by stepping onto the ladder. Slowly, he went up, keenly aware of how painful it would be to slip off.

“That’s it, you’re almost here.” Kakashi encouraged, knowing it would irritate the teacher. “Just a bit further.” As soon as Iruka reached the top bar and reached out the grab the non-existent next one, Kakashi clasped his flailing hand securely and pulled it towards him. “I got you, just keep climbing up.”

“This is a horrible idea.” Iruka whined, not wanting to go on. He knew Kakashi wouldn’t let him fall, but his instincts were yelling at him to go back down. Concentrating on Kakashi’s hand, he ever so slowly moved up, grabbing the pale arm with both hands now.

Once both his feet touched the structure’s rooftop, Iruka kept his grip on Kakashi. He knew that they were high enough that he could easily fall off if he didn’t watch his step, which he couldn’t. “Well? Now can I take it off?” Now that they had gotten there, Iruka was curious to know what it was exactly Kakashi wanted to show him. A bit excited, he reached up and tugged the material impatiently.

Kakashi grabbed Iruka’s shoulders and turned him, gently slapping an eager hand away. He reached up and began to fiddle with the knot of the blindfold. Once undone, he ripped it off and stared at Iruka’s face from the side, intent on seeing his reaction.

Cringing at the influx of light into his eyes, Iruka blinked rapidly to adjust. Once he could see, he looked straight ahead and his mouth dropped open.

Before him, the sky was awash in an eclectic collection of colors, stretching across the morning firmament. The dark of the night was receding, giving birth to bright pinks and soft oranges, splashes of reds and golds that peppered the sky. The sun was just barely peeking up from its horizon, stretching its divine rays out and into the canvas it created. It filled the atmosphere with its life giving warmth. Purple hues weaved around the voluminous puffy clouds, stained by blue tints and marbled with pink swirls. The sun cast beams that radiated out above the clouds, shining down in a heavenly manner. Birds began to chirp, filling the quiet world with their songs. As they sang, the sounds of their wings flapping, fluttered out as they swooped around for breakfast.

The trees began to sway in a gentle breeze, rustling quietly as sunlight hit their leaves and jumpstarting photosynthesis. The world began to awaken, revealing beauty often forgotten amongst the death and decay.

Amazed at the gorgeous scene, Iruka was speechless. He hadn’t seen such a magnificent sunrise in years. The instinctual fear for his life kept him from wandering outside during the late nights and early mornings. He kept to the light, when he could see clearly and had the advantage. The teacher drank in the sight, feeling his earlier crankiness dissipate. Claude Monet, eat your heart out.

He stood there quietly, a small smile on his face as he tried to soak up every minute detail and commit it to memory. He was so engrossed in the sight that he didn’t notice Kakashi move beside him quietly.

“I like to come up here sometimes before I start my morning routine. It helps start off the day nicely. A nice reminder that not all is bad.” He said conversationally, occasionally glancing at Iruka’s face. He knew the sight was overwhelming and captivating, so seeing the stark wonder and awe on the teacher’s face was satisfying to his ego. “I told you it was worth it.” He teased.

“Kakashi, this is incredible.” Iruka broke his gaze and turned to the man beside him. “Thanks, I- its-.” He trailed off, unable to explain his thoughts.

Kakashi shrugged, a tad bit embarrassed. He knew the brunette would love it and was pleased to find he had been right. Grabbing Iruka’s hand suddenly, he yanked him towards the ladder.

“The day’s just begun. Come on.” He chuckled, hearing Iruka stutter behind him, muttering something about being manhandled.

“Where are you taking me now?” Iruka asked curiously, now in a much better mood. He looked back, savoring the view for a few more precious seconds. Now that the sun was up, he could see properly. They were standing on a small building’s roof, one that faced the sun with nothing to block the view.

“We are going to go bathe. You smell, and I don’t doubt that I do too. The dogs as well, so it’s bath time for all of us.” Kakashi explained. He kept the need of wanting to see Iruka half-naked and wet to himself. Sure it was manipulative and sort of messed up, but hey, they actually did smell. It was an innocuous request.

Iruka didn’t bother trying to sniff himself. It was part of life now that running bathrooms with showers and soap were a thing of the past. Thinking of the river he used a while ago, he got excited. “Kakashi, how many rivers are there around here? Ones that are relatively wide, and have thick trees growing around the edges, with sandy banks?”

Kakashi immediately knew that Iruka was thinking of the same river. He smiled lecherously. “Just one. Why?” he asked innocently.

“I think I’ve been to it before. Are we going to that one?” He asked happily, wanting to see how it had changed since the last time he’d seen it around a month ago.

“If you want, sure.” Kakashi agreed easily. “Right this way.” He purred.

**XxX**

Finally reaching their destination, Iruka was happy to see that the lake was indeed the one he had gone to previously. It hadn’t changed at all. But as he gazed around, a question popped into his head.

“Hey Kakashi. How come there aren’t any Infected around here?”

Stopping behind him and watching the dogs run forward into the water, Kakashi pointed to the rim of trees around them. “Farther back, I’ve set up a sort of fence that keeps them out, but activity around here is rare. They generally don’t like large bodies of waters, so this river is pretty safe since they stay away.”

“Ah.” Iruka acknowledged, musing over the information. He hadn’t known that the creatures didn’t like water. He then curiously eyed the silver-haired man, watching him walk over to the river bank. _What else does he know? Or rather, how much does he know?_

Brushing off the questions, he suddenly realized Kakashi was stripping off his clothes. Unable to look away, he stared as strips of pale skin came into view as garments were pulled off. And here he had thought Kakashi shirtless in his room looked good. A nice ass clad in frayed boxers was now at his disposal, rounding down to thick muscular thighs and strong calves. It was clear Kakashi worked out, as every inch of his body was stitched with lean muscle that showcased his prowess. A curious dusting of silver hair condensed around the bottom of his navel, straightening into a thin line that dove into the waistband of Kakashi’s boxers.

The taller man was stretching out his arms, giving Iruka a good view of the sinewy muscles hidden under his pale skin. Broad shoulders rotated as Kakashi moved, flexing and showing off. Feeling his mouth dry, Iruka tore his eyes away, licking his lips as a blush dusted his face. _I was ogling at the man like a little schoolgirl,_ he thought with chagrin, mentally cringing in embarrassment. What was wrong with him lately?

Out of his peripherals, Kakashi noticed Iruka had looked away and turned red. A tad disappointed, he paused his show and sauntered over to the teacher. Stopping in front of the short man, he nodded over to the river. “Are you going to get in?” He asked.

“I-uh, I will.” Iruka stammered, suddenly feeling claustrophobic with Kakashi’s proximity. He forced his eyes to not follow the trail of silver hair that beckoned to him from Kakashi’s waist.

Kakashi grinned wolfishly and decided to tease the brunette. “Why are you so red? What, like what you see?” He rumbled, puffing out his chest and trying to strike a sensual pose.

Iruka let out chuckle, shaking his head as he forced his blush away. “Hardly. You look like a stick.” He commented, stepping away a bit to give himself some room to get his heart under control.

“A stick? Says the one that almost died of starvation.” Kakashi snipped, crossing his hands and straightening his back, trying to look intimidating. A silver eyebrow arched challengingly at Iruka.

“You say that as if it were intentional.” Iruka stuck out his tongue childishly, mimicking Kakashi’s pose. He stared up into the man’s eyes, praying another blush wouldn’t come back and embarrass him. It was enough that his heart was pounding in his chest due to that smoldering look Kakashi was giving him.

Kakashi shrugged. Turning on his heel, he took a running start and leaped into the river, creating a huge splash. The canines that had been wandering along the shore quickly followed him, barking and howling as they swam out to the other man. Raikiri joined him as best he could, dogpaddling along.

Smiling, Iruka began to strip, taking off his pack and unwinding his scarf. He paused for a second as he tugged his shirt up, a little nervous to be showing Kakashi his body. While he felt perfectly happy in his own skin, it was a little daunting to be next to Kakashi’s incredible form. Forcing those thoughts away, he yanked the shirt off and unbuckled his pants as he toed off his shoes. This was a moment to have fun and relax for once, not worry about inconsequential things. Besides, Kakashi had seen him at his worse. Standing in his boxers much like Kakashi had earlier, he waded into the water, going deeper until the water met his chest. The lukewarm water felt nice as he dug his toes into the sediment. He hummed complacently, enjoying the small waves of water that shoved him gently.

Kakashi was out deeper than him, cutting through the water like an Olympian. He treaded water skillfully, showing off his strong back muscles and his leg power.  He cut through the water gracefully, looking carefree and out of place in the apocalyptic world.  Iruka noted with slight wonder that Kakashi’s hair managed to remain upright, even when carrying the extra weight of water. Defying gravity and the laws of physics, it sprang up even after he dove underwater and popped up.

The teacher laughed when Kakashi’s hair poked out from the surface of the water like a shark fin and began to move around, circling randomly before dipping back down. Iruka cursed when another blush peppered his cheeks as the Kakashi surged back up and caught him ogling. His heart rate kicked up a bit more as the silver-haired man swam towards him, mismatched eyes staring into his own intently.

“Why don’t you come in deeper?” Kakashi asked once he was close enough, latching onto Iruka’s hand and tugging him forward. “It’s better.”

Iruka’s eyes widened and he tried to pull his hand away. “I’m fine here.” He said with a fake smile on his face. He looked nervously past Kakashi and at the expense of water behind him. A shiver ran down his spine. _How far down does it go anyway?_

Stubbornly, Kakashi tugged him some more, moving the brunette a few inches.

Iruka yanked his arm back out of Kakashi’s grip and stepped back. He looked away, not meeting Kakashi’s questioning gaze. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Iruka?” Kakashi prodded, feeling he was treading over eggshells all of a sudden. “What’s wrong?” He looked around, searching for what was making the teacher so nervous. Seeing nothing that would pose a problem, he turned back to the brunette.

Iruka bit his bottom lip and mumbled out a reply. He seemed to hunch into himself, his hand drifting from the back of his neck to his shoulder.

“Huh?” Kakashi grunted, not hearing what the other man had said. What had he done? Had he been too obvious with his less than angelic thoughts? “What’d you say?

“ _I said I can’t swim_.” Iruka bit out, crossing his arms defiantly. He glared at Kakashi, daring him to laugh. A flush darted across his face as he called on his anger to keep him from embarrassing himself more.

Kakashi cocked his head in surprise. “Is that it?” He sniggered. “That’s nothing.” He drifted back a bit, giving Iruka a bit of room.

Iruka opened his mouth to reply when he recognized a glint of mischief shine in Kakashi's eyes. _Oh no…_

“You’re not going to learn if you don’t try.” Kakashi grinned, surging forward and wrapping his arms around Iruka’s warm abdomen. Using his powerful leg muscles, he launched them both backwards, deeper into the water. He kept kicking until they were further out.

“Kakashi, no!” Iruka yelled, panicking as he was pulled backwards. He couldn’t help but laugh as Kakashi’s hands and hair tickled his sides. “S-stop!”

Laughing, Kakashi unwrapped his arms from Iruka and turned to swim away quickly. He was stopped when a warm body attached itself to his back and tan hands wrapping around his neck. Startled, he froze.

“You are not leaving me here to drown, asshole!” Iruka shouted, latching onto the silver-haired man like an urchin. Cringing at how childish and idiotic he must seem, Iruka wound his legs around Kakashi’s hips, feeling the thick muscles as his thighs closed around them. “If I drown, I’m taking you with me.” He grunted, trying to suppress shivers. Kakashi’s body was really warm. And slippery. Maybe it had been a mistake…

Recovering from the shock of another body pressed intimately with his own, Kakashi smirked. “That’s the spirit!” He inhaled deeply and let himself sink under the water, taking Iruka with him.

“Oh sh-!”

Water filled Iruka’s mouth as Kakashi pulled them under. Cursing the man to the seventh ring of hell, Iruka immediately let go of him, struggling to reach the surface. Kicking the man as he felt hands try to grab his ankle, Iruka began to get scared when he couldn’t reach the surface. He hadn’t gone through years of fighting Infected to die by drowning! His muscles began to tire as he fruitlessly tried to swim up, but lack of expertise and knowledge kept him from moving.

Bubbles of air escaped his mouth as he drifted further down. Panicking, he struggled more, adrenaline surging into his body as he fought. His lungs began to burn with the need of oxygen. _Where the hell did Kakashi go_?!

Strong arms suddenly jammed under his armpits and rushed him upward, toward the surface. Breaking through, Iruka gasped, nearly choking. He felt Kakashi’s arms lock around his chest, holding him up above the water.

“Oi, oi! Iruka! Breathe!” Kakashi yelled. “Shit, I was joking!” He hadn’t meant to drown the teacher, he just wanted to tease him!

“Y-you goddamn asshole!” Iruka yelled back once he expelled all the water from his windpipe. “F-fuck!” His throat felt raw from all the water he was coughing up and his body was feeling heavy and exhausted. The tan body still shaking with the aftermath of adrenaline and fear, Iruka summoned his cruelest glare, shooting the silver-haired man with in dead on. “What the hell Kakashi! I told you I can’t fucking swim and you try to drown me!” He slammed his fist into the water, creating shockwaves.

Kakashi winced as brown eyes burned into his. “I didn’t mean to take you down that far, I just need you to let go-” He tried to explain, horrified that the man though he had tried to kill him…again.

“Let go?! Why would I let go when I can’t swim!? .....take me to the shore.” Iruka quieted down, stilling in his arms and crossing them across his chest, forcing more space between them. “Take me back now.” He bit out.

Silently, Kakashi obliged slowly, tugging the brunette back to the river bank. He avoided the teacher’s gaze, focusing on the water they drifted past.

Once his feet could touch the ground, Iruka shoved Kakashi away and stalked to the shore. Finding a warm spot of sun in the sand, he sat down and began to dry himself off, still incredibly pissed. He had told the taller man he couldn’t swim, and then he went and pulled of some stupid prank like he was a kid! He didn’t honestly think Kakashi would have let him actually drown, but the fear had been real nonetheless.

Kakashi sat down a few feet away from the brunette, resting his arms on his knees. Well, he had fucked up. He had just wanted Iruka to panic and hold on to him tightly, as a joke. He figured it would have been fun giving the teacher swimming lessons, but upon further introspection, he might not have done it in the best way. Feeling repentant but not knowing how to apologize, he pouted. Gazing out towards his dogs, he watched them splash and play in the water, oblivious to what had just transpired. Apologizing to one of them would have been a million times easier; all he’d have to do is give them some tidbits after lunch, a couple of good belly rubs and they were good to go. He had a feeling that wouldn’t fly with the teacher.

Having been out of touch with people for so long, it was awkward to try to get back into that rhythm.

_He’s acting like a child that got scolded_ , Iruka observed, watching Kakashi gaze sullenly at the river. _Well, he should feel bad._ Iruka closed his eyes and frowned, intent on relaxing after the little event. He turned his face towards the sun, getting his daily dose of Vitamin D. A few seconds went by and he cracked one lid open to see if Kakashi was still sulking. He was. Grumbling, he closed his eye and went back to soaking up the sun. He dried quickly, soaking up the sun’s rays as he relaxed.

When he felt something heavy drop next to him, he jumped and opened both his eyes, startled.

The taller man had come and sat down next to him, still looking out towards the river. Not ready to forgive him, Iruka turned away, a clear sign that he wasn’t happy. Although, he didn’t feel quite as angry as he had before. It all seemed rather silly now. In the big picture, it was just a poorly construed prank. Should he cut Kakashi some slack?

“I didn’t mean to try to kill you again. It was a bad trick and I apologize.” Kakashi said abruptly and tersely, his mismatched eyes turning to Iruka’s. “I’m sorry if I caused you any harm. I won’t do it again.” He bit his lip, waiting to see how Iruka reacted. Did he seem remorseful enough?

Seeing how uncomfortable and tense the silver-haired man was, Iruka almost felt sorry for him. “If you ever decide to go into teaching, I’d advise you to stay away from being a swimming coach. Schools generally don’t appreciate dead students.” Iruka said sternly, trying not to break out into a laugh as he watched Kakashi’s eyes widen and his head tilt in confusion. His lips twitched as he fought the urge.

“What are you- _Oh_.”

A grin crinkled Kakashi’s eyes as he let out a loud burst of laughter. Relieved, he laid back in the sand, happy again. Damn, humans were complicated. Himself included.

Iruka poked his side with a tan finger. “I haven’t forgiven you. I’m just letting you know what professions you should avoid should you ever go into the teaching industry.”

“Yea, yea.” Kakashi snorted, appraising Iruka from under his eyelashes.

Startled by the concentration of Kakashi’s eyes, Iruka looked away, feeling naked under the intense gaze. Just what was it about the other man that had him nervous half the time? Unconsciously, he reached up and rubbed the scar on his nose, tracing the length from cheek to cheek.

“Why don’t you know how to swim?” Kakashi asked suddenly, twining his fingers together and putting them behind his head as a makeshift pillow. He closed his eyes, relaxing.

Iruka snorted. “I was just never taught. My parents just didn’t have the time for it. They were always so busy, so taking little Iruka to swim practice wasn’t on the agenda.”

“What did you parents do?” Kakashi asked softly, recognizing the forlorn tone.

“My father was a neurosurgeon and was always on call. My mother was a nurse working in the same building, so that’s how they met. You can guess where my interest in psychology came from.” Iruka chuckled humorlessly. “Nevertheless, I loved both of them. Besides not being able to swim, among other things, I’ve turned out okay. I’ve made it this far.”

“My father was a fireman and my mother was a stay at home mom.” Kakashi revealed. “He died when a building they had been fighting a fire in collapsed, taking with it a few other people. My mother couldn’t take it and months later decided to assume room temperature with a bottle of Jack and some razor blades. Afterwards, I graduated highschool and you know the rest.”

“That’s terrible.” Iruka said, shocked by how hard Kakashi’s life had been. Technically was. “I’m sorry for your losses.”

Kakashi shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me as much as you’d think. Life goes on.” Never mind that he’d talk to them during the sunrises, right where he’d shown Iruka. Some things were better left unsaid. “But thanks.”

Iruka nearly jumped again when he felt calloused fingers drifting across his hip. Glaring down at the man, Iruka sputtered, confused by Kakashi’s change in behavior. “What ar-”

“Where did you get these scars?” Kakashi asked, lightly touching the thicker skin that created a sickle shaped scar on the tanned man’s hip bone. He was curious and completely taking advantage of the excuse to touch the other man, as well as using it as a change in topic. He liked being random and keeping Iruka guessing. He moved, propping his head up on one hand as the other traveled over to find more markings.

“I uh, um, Clickers and Runners mainly. Falling down too much…” Iruka explained, hyper aware of the light touches on his skin. The areas that Kakashi was touching were tingling, feeling as if they had been burned. He twitched under the touch, on one hand liking the feeling, on the other shying away from it.

“Hmm.” Kakashi hummed, his hand traveling to Iruka’s stomach, tracing the muscle that he proudly noticed was coming back. _How far can I go before he stops me? Would he stop me?_ His fingers ached to explore all of Iruka’s body, but he knew they were still far from that. Further now, if the man truly hadn’t forgiven him yet. Though, he doubted it. Iruka didn’t seem like the type to hold grudges.

Not knowing what to do and confused, Iruka jumped to his feet, pulling away from Kakashi’s curious fingers. “A-are you hungry? I’m starving.” He proclaimed, wanting to put some distance between them.

A bit dismayed but trying not to show it, Kakashi nodded, getting to his feet. “It has been a while.” He mused, turning to look around. Peeking at Iruka from his peripherals, he noticed the teacher subconsciously touching the spots he had been roaming over a few seconds ago, rubbing his fingers in small caresses. Feeling suddenly giddy and full of energy, he twisted around back to Iruka. “Breakfast at your place?”

**xXx**

They walked back to the library, side by side. Kakashi had insisted on carrying Iruka’s pack as a way of regaining the brunette’s favor. Taking advantage of the offer, Iruka agreed, letting the taller man act like a pack mule. The dogs had stayed at the river, jumping around and ignoring their master’s calls to leave. Raikiri had remained with them, eager for play pals.

Iruka kept up a light conversation as they traveled, feeling the need to fill in the silence usually broken by snorts and light barks. “After getting away, did you travel with anyone else?” He asked, referring to his own journeys while following other survivors.

Kakashi hummed, rubbing his chin over his bandanna. “I stayed for a few days with a these two strange guys. One was really geeky looking and skinny; I was surprised he had made it this far. The other was a bit better built, but had an obsession with finding Twinkies.” He looked pointedly at Iruka. “He would have killed for yours.”

Iruka snickered at the absurdity. “Did he ever find one?”

The taller man shrugged. “I didn’t stay long enough to find out. They both were a bit on the annoying side, so I ditched. What about you?”

Iruka thought for moment before responding, kicking a rock around as he spoke. “At one point, I was with a group of people that got stuck in a mall. Long story short, things went bad and we had to bail. I don’t know what happened to them afterwards. Once we left the mall, I took my chance and left.”

Kakashi gave low whistle. “I briefly met a man who was dead set on getting into a bar to wait for this all to blow over. No wait, he said it was a _pub_. He took several people with him, but I never heard from him again. Not sure if he made it or not.”

“He sounds like an interesting fellow.” Iruka mused, crossing his arms. “But a pub? Seems like a strange place to go.”

“Agreed.”

Silence fell as they both quieted down and settled into a comfortable rhythm. “Did you ever meet those that were waiting for a cure?” Iruka asked softly, remembering another man he met amongst his travels. “Or were searching for one?”

Kakashi sensed the darker tone Iruka had taken, understanding that this was a rough topic. He looked away from the teacher and focused on the buildings they were passing by. “Nah….did you?”

Iruka nodded. “I met a man, whose name for the life of me I can’t remember, that was dead set on creating a cure. He resisted the initial evacuation by the military. He was obsessed, almost getting bitten and eaten multiple times. He tried convincing me he was immune. Sometimes I wonder what happened to him.”

“Most likely dead.” Kakashi answered honestly. “In this world, finding a cure isn’t a top priority. If you’re not focused on staying alive, you’re as good as dead.”

“Hmm.” Iruka hummed absentmindedly as he took a trip down memory lane. “I wonder if anyone is working on one. It’s been years since the outbreak, so someone must have taken the initiative.”

“I doubt it. Besides, a cure would probably be impossible. The actual brain infection, Cordyceps, grows on the brain and spreads out through the face, bursting through the skull. That’s where the fungus thrives, feeding off of brain tissue and traveling through the body. What could possibly cure that? The best case scenario is a vaccine for the surviving or at least creating some type of resistance.”

Iruka looked over at Kakashi in surprise. He had nearly forgotten the man had been exposed to classified information on the fugus and would then know more than the general public.  Anything the psychology teacher knew was empirically learned, or taken from rumors amongst the survivors he met. “Good point.” He acknowledged.

“If there is someone out there who’s working on it, they have their work cut out for them.”

Iruka pursed his lips, mulling over something. “If you had the power and tools needed to create a vaccine, would you?” It seemed like a simple question. From the point of view of an unaffected person, the answer is easy: Yes. But Kakashi had seemingly been exposed to the hardships of this life, more so than the average person, as he was still alive and even protected his home by himself. What would he say?

“Yes and no.” Kakashi began hesitantly, after a bit of silence. “I’ve seen my fair share of this world, so I speak from experience. Who’s there to save? Those who are still alive owe their life to becoming something they wouldn’t have been if this hadn’t happened. Are those the people you want ruling over the new generation, if there is one? I myself have done some pretty despicable things, and even I wouldn’t want myself in charge of a new world. But not all people are the same. Those who change to keep living, but maintain good in their heart, don’t they deserve a chance to keep living to create a better world?” He shrugged. “It’s complicated. Who am I to say who gets to live and who gets to die?”

Iruka found himself enjoying the moments that Kakashi showed a deeper understanding of the world. Few and far in between, he discovered that he and the taller man shared similar opinions on a wide variety of issues and topics. Or it could be that he simply enjoyed hearing another opinion that didn’t come from his own mind. Either way, he appreciated Kakashi’s thoughts and insight.

“You continue to surprise me, Kakashi.” Iruka smiled, completely forgiving the man for his earlier actions. Besides, what good would it to do be angry at the only other person around? He was slowly beginning to understand that Kakashi truly made an effort with him. The taller man had reiterated his dislike of foreigners, and repeatedly mentioned his distrust in them.  But when it came to him, Kakashi went all out. He was always hanging around him and they were spending more and more time together. 

“Is that a compliment?” Kakashi asked, grinning. Peeking down at his companion, he could see that Iruka was lost in thought. Amused, he watched his face, noting how expressive he was. _Dare I say, it’s incredibly adorable._

Iruka was happy that Kakashi regarded him as a close friend, but something in his mind reminded him of the river. Kakashi didn’t necessarily act like a friend. He went beyond that. So what was he? A potential love interest?  A blush stole across Iruka’s face as a nearly naked Kakashi strolled into his mind, glistening with water. Imaging Kakashi in such a suggestive way had his blood rate increasing. But then, that would bring nothing but trouble.

“What are you thinking about that has you blushing?”

Kakashi’s voice suddenly broke through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. “Huh?” Iruka asked, his blush deepening as his voice came out a bit high pitched.

“Are you embarrassed?” Kakashi asked, reaching up and running a finger across Iruka’s nose scar. “What could you be possibly thinking about?” He murmured, his voice dropping several decibels and becoming oddly sensual.

An unfamiliar sensation crawled up his spine as Kakashi spoke to him. Iruka shook his head. “N-nothing. It’s rather warm, don’t you think?” He looked to the side, avoiding meeting eyes with Kakashi. Just how close had they gotten in the short amount of time they’d been together? This wasn’t good. How had he not realized this earlier? How dense could he be?

Kakashi stared at him with unreadable eyes for a long time before turning away. “Yea.” The taller man rubbed the back of his neck, gazing forward. It was now pretty obvious what was happening. He might have spent the most time alone out of the both of them, but he could recognize something Iruka somehow couldn’t. The teacher had the hots for him. He’d met enough swooning girls that were attracted by a man in uniform to notice the not-so-subtle signs. But for some reason, Iruka was either fighting it or simply wasn’t acknowledging it. Pressing his lips in a hard line under his bandanna, Kakashi sighed.

While he liked the tanned man’s personality and his body, he wanted Iruka to reciprocate those same feelings. From all the time they spent together, it was obvious they were compatible, and it was something Kakashi was willing to go for. He could admit that he’d gotten attached and that he truly liked Iruka. He wanted something more. The chemistry between them was palpable; but what was holding the teacher back? What was keeping him from indulging in what was slowly growing between them?

Iruka frowned, feeling as if he’d disappointed Kakashi.  Surprised by the intensity of the emotion, he tried vainly to dismiss it. Those were thoughts better left for a time when he could fully analyze them. Trudging along now, he looked forward to see that the library was closer than he thought.

**xXx**

Entering through the gated area and checking up on Iruka’s garden’s status, they routed to the busted back door of the library. Kakashi went in first, with Iruka following closely. He slid the door in place behind him.

“You should get that fixed.” Kakashi joked, grinning as Iruka shoved a small cabinet as an extra measure of protection.

“Give me a number and I’ll call.” Iruka quipped back, grunting as he nudged the heavy cabinet in place. He placed a few cardboard boxes with encyclopedia books stolen from the research area of the library on top. Every door that led into the library was basically jammed shut with anything he could think off. Call him paranoid, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

He suddenly paused, glancing back at the door. “Wait, what about the dogs? We left them all alone…”

Kakashi shook his head. “They’re fine. They can take care of themselves.” He lifted his fingers to his mouth and stopped before they entered. “Unless you want them here…?” He trailed off, waiting for Iruka’s response.

The brunette shook his head. “Let them play; we can handle ourselves, right?”

Iruka and Kakashi walked up the marble steps in the main reading room, heading for the hallway that led to Iruka’s room. They bypassed the Art and Architect room, the Women’s Studies and printing rooms, heading straight for the Reading room that Iruka inhabited. Once inside, they quickly unpacked, dropped their gear and settled to eat while Kakashi starting up a fire.

“Be careful, I don’t need you setting my home on fire.” Iruka chided, watching Kakashi pile wood into the centuries old fireplace as he set out a poor imitation of a dinner table. Complete with plates and eating utensils stolen from an old cutlery store down the road, today’s dinner would consist of water, since Iruka drank the last Gatorade to spite Kakashi, meat from yesterday’s hunt, and spinach leaves Kakashi insisted on calling rabbit food.

Kakashi snorted, toeing off his boots. He kicked them to the side and removed his socks as well. Might as well make himself comfortable. “I can handle the fire, you’re just lucky we-” He abruptly froze, his head tilted concentration.

Noticing his odd behavior and sudden silence, Iruka cocked his head, imitating the taller man. After a few seconds of hearing nothing but the wind outside and the crackling of the fire, he turned to the older man, confused. “What? What did you hear?”

Kakashi held up a hand, motioning for silence. Abandoning the wood, he stood up and walked to the door, cracking it open carefully.

Curiosity paling to worry, Iruka got to his feet and moved behind Kakashi, peeking out the door. Seeing nothing but the darkened hallway, Iruka suddenly heard it. It was a light scratching noise, like the sound of something sliding across a dirty marble floor. It wasn’t a sound he was familiar with, so his thoughts immediately went to rats scuttling across the ground, fleeing into shelter.

Kakashi padded out into the hall, gazing down both ways before beginning to stalk down the corridor, his bare feet slapping on the cool floor. Iruka quickly grabbed his ice pick before following him, needing the security.

They quietly headed down the marble stairs, going to the first floor of the building. Doing a quick sweep of the main reading room that they used as an entrance, Kakashi scratched his head. The noise had stopped and there was no visible source.

“Guess it was a wind or something.” He muttered, his mismatched eyes roaming over the open area suspiciously. He saw nothing but overturned books and empty chairs. Having been a persistent guest at Library Iruka, he basically had the top structure memorized. The only unexplored areas were the ones going underground and into the basement; the entrance to the secluded area was blocked off by a caved in floor.

Iruka relaxed behind him, letting his pick fall from its stab-ready position in the air to swinging lightly by his shins. “You had me worried.” Iruka sighed. “I thought it was rats.”

Kakashi turned and squinted at him. “You’re afraid of rats?” He asked, his tone insulting yet amused.

The teacher rolled his eyes. “No. I’m afraid of what they might be _carrying_.” He clarified. “Rats are natural hosts to tons of diseases like rabies. Good luck living if you’re bitten by one.”

Kakashi tilted his head in acknowledgment. “We should get back, before _I burn your home down_.” He mocked, imitating Iruka.

“UUUURRAAAGGGGHHHH!!”

Freezing, Iruka and Kakashi simultaneously whipped around to see a female Runner bursting out of the darkness and shrieking as she ran out of a hallway towards them, her arms flailing wildly. Covering ground quickly, she was on them in seconds.

_What the hell!?_ Iruka moved fast on instinct. Breaking out of his shocked state, he darted forward and impaled the Runner in the throat with his ice pick, using both hands to twist and behead her. Dangling by strands of skin, the head fell away, leaving a twitching body.

Pulling away, he turned to Kakashi who was looking behind him. “How the hell did she get in?! Every exit is blocked, and-.” He was cut short by the piercing cries of two more Runners and the snapping of a dangerous Clicker who were sprinting over to them from the same area the first one had. “Oh fuck!”

Kakashi snatched Iruka’s hand and took off running up the marble steps, nearly dragging the shorter man behind him. “I’m unarmed and we’re outmatched, we need to run!” He yelled. His weapons were in his pack, which were in Iruka’s room. _We’re not gonna make it…_ The Infected were now up the stairs, hot on their tail. Their feet thundered in the hall, the steps echoing loudly on the marble floor. Nearly skidding as they turned a corner, Kakashi realized what was ahead and jerked to a stop.

“Jesus, fuck!”

Iruka nearly broke his neck as Kakashi stopped running and yanked him back, giving him whiplash. He almost fell down but managed to catch himself, looking ahead. Before them were two more Infected, but they looked slightly different. Instead of the usual heavy fungal plates emerging from the face typical of a Clicker, these creature had one visible eye, while the other was covered by the plates. A thick blue vein throbbed and pulsed on their forehead, inching out as it grew onto what was once a face. They were creating sounds similar to a Clicker, but deeper, similar to croaking. The single sick watery eye turning to watch them, the creatures squawked and charged, intent on killing the two humans.

“Stalkers.” Kakashi spat venomously.

He shoved Iruka to the nearest open room and slammed the door behind them, pressing his back to it. Screams and screeches came from outside as the Infected slammed repeatedly into the door, threatening to knock it off its hinges. With each brutal hit, Kakashi was knocked off the door a few centimeters. He planted his feet in on the ground, trying to get more traction, but the dirt and grime on the bottom of his bare feet did little to help. Cold fear slithered down his spine as he recognized the sound of wood splintering. Narrowed red and grey met wide brown. The door wouldn’t last much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Slow down my ass. Shit got real :D


	8. Ashes

Iruka slammed his body next to Kakashi’s on the door, grunting from the force. “What do we do?” he asked, trying not to panic. They needed to think this out logically to stay. “And what the fuck were those? I’ve never seen them before.” Iruka trailed off, glancing quickly around the room. It looked like they were boxed in. The windows were high off the ground, unreachable without a ladder and no other door was visible.

Kakashi winced as the screams and clicking grew louder, emulsifying with the pounding on the door. He felt each strike resonate deeply throughout his body. “ _Those_ are Stalkers. They’re sneaky sons of bitches that like to hide and attack.” He flinched with another hard hit to the door. “They must have been watching us and planning this.”

Iruka turned to look at the man, shocked. “They can plan? They _think_?” He had been under the assumption that all Infected were basically brain dead, only heeding to biological demands. So what mental capabilities did they actually retain after the initial stages of Infection? Where did Stalkers fit when compared to Clickers and Runners?

“Iruka, this really isn’t the best time for a biology lesson on Stalkers. I’ll tell you what I know later.” Kakashi ground out, bracing himself for a new barrage of strikes. “Right now, we need to get out of here and into your room. Do you know where we are?” He turned to his brown haired companion and swallowed heavily.

The teacher nodded. “This is one of the sections of the reserved reading rooms. My room is further down the hall. Past all of...” He waved his arm vaguely, knowing Kakashi knew what he meant.

Kakashi looked away for a second before returning to Iruka. “Are there any other exits in this room? Look near the floors.”

Iruka immediately knew what the older man meant and lurched off the door. He ran over to a corner of the room and began shoving bookcases and old, moldy books out of his way. Finding nothing, he repeated this on the other side of the room, throwing random items out of his way in his haste. Spying the rusted metal grate of an old air vent, he bent down and began yanking it out. “I found an air vent!” He called out, grunting as he fell back with the heavy grate in hands. A gaping rectangular hole stared back at him, allowing him to peek into the other room. It stood a few feet off the ground, and was surprisingly deep for the small room.

Tossing the hunk of metal to the side, he moved forward and began to crawl through. “Hurry up!” He shouted towards Kakashi, worried that the door wouldn’t give him time to crawl through. It was a snug fit for himself; Kakashi was a bit broader and would take longer. He made it through, tumbling into the adjacent room and quickly getting up.

Abandoning his post at the door, Kakashi grabbed a small bookcase and shoved it in the way of the door. That would buy him a few seconds. He followed Iruka swiftly, kneeling and jamming his body into the hole. He crawled through, ignoring the crumbling bits of wall disintegrating around his hands and knees. Kakashi then heard the door give out, along with the obstacle he placed. Moans and clicks followed the door’s demise, petering out as they searched for their target. A spike of dread shot down his spine as he quickened his pace, nearly throwing himself out into the safety of the other room. He landed on his hands, rolling out and hitting his hip on the hard floor. Bits of dirt and wall dug further into his palms as he braced himself to stand up.

“We neemph-”

A sweaty hand suddenly clamped down on his mouth, pressing hard onto his face as his body was tugged behind a fallen shelf harshly. Scooting back with the pulls, Kakashi looked up into Iruka’s upside down and unnaturally pale face. A tan finger was placed tightly against full lips. With a quick tilt of his head, Iruka directed his gaze over to the middle of the room, where he knew another Infected was staring at them.

Kakashi removed the hand from his face and slowly peered over the edge of the shelf. The creature was standing abnormally still, his head turned in their direction. It was another Stalker, but this one wasn’t attacking nor alerting the others. It swayed a bit on its feet, as if in a trance, and twitched occasionally, emitting a soft growling noise. The Stalker didn’t appear to have spotted them yet. Kakashi slid back down, his heart pounding. His mind raced as he calculated different scenarios in which to fight the Infected without alerting the others. It was stupid to think they could sneak past it, leaving them with very limited choices.

Iruka swallowed heavily. He was afraid to make any sudden movements for fear of being discovered. He could only assume that the Infected had miraculously not seen them and therefore, they were safe. For now. As soon as they drew attention to themselves, he knew they were fucked. The exit was right behind the Stalker, their only ticket to freedom. _What can we do…?_

Nodding his head slightly to prepare himself, Iruka tightened his hold on his ice pick. He was going to try and take out the Stalker before it could call the others. It was stupid to engage an enemy that he had only just found out existed, but there was no other option. Getting up on a knee, he turned to somehow relay his plan to Kakashi, who shook his head as soon as they made eye contact. Surprised, Iruka blinked when Kakashi held his hand out and crooked his fingers for the blue weapon.

Unable to read the intense mismatched gaze, Iruka somewhat unwillingly parted with his weapon as he handed it to the older man. His hand curled into an empty fist as soon as it left his palm. He watched as Kakashi fit his fingers into the grooves and swung his wrist a bit, getting a feel for the weapon. The taller man then held up a finger and gave Iruka an inquisitive look.

The teacher nodded to show he got the message. The ex-militantwanted him to wait. For what he didn’t know, but it hardly mattered. Curious but worried brown eyes watched as Kakashi used the fallen shelf for cover. He was moving around the room, drawing closer to the Infected. Prickles of concern ran up his spine the nearer Kakashi got to the Stalker.

Kakashi held his breath as he neared the Stalker, moving as slowly as he could. Silently, he slithered behind the Stalker, finally stopping when he was crouched behind it with nothing but an overturned cart as cover. The taller man grimaced as a reek of rotting flesh hit him his eyes, making his eyes water. Thank God he had the bandanna as a buffer to the rank odor. This one was relatively fresh. Ignoring the smell, he focused on the Stalker’s body position. Once he was within striking range, he popped to his feet and moved faster than a snake. Using both his hands to clutch the ice axe handle, he brought the curved weapon above his head and buried it in the Stalker’s head with a muted thud. The Stalker squawked and turned to attack Kakashi, but was distracted when Iruka suddenly popped into its line of sight, keeping his attention from Kakashi.

Using the distraction to his advantage, Kakashi yanked the ice axe out before repeating his attack and plowing it into the mush of fungal material before him. The body dropped heavily as it gave sporadic twitches before stilling. The blue weapon stood out from its head, drooping as the body froze.

“That was close.” Iruka breathed out, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. “You all right?” He eyed Kakashi over, despite knowing that the man hadn’t been injured.

Kakashi nodded. He glanced towards the partially opened door, knowing what was waiting outside for them. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” he said softly, reaching down to pull the ice axe out. He handed the weapon to the teacher. Steely red and grey met determined chocolate. His lips twitched as Iruka pressed his own tightly together.

“We’re gonna have to run for it.” Iruka blew out a breath heavily, his fist tightening around the handle of the ice axe. He was grateful to have it back in his hands and to have a means of defending himself.

“Whoever gets there first, covers the other. Deal?” Kakashi grinned, feeling as if they were about to do something incredibly stupid. Who were they kidding, they both knew how dangerous it was.

They could very well die, and here they were, acting as if it were nothing. Maybe it was the adrenaline fucking with his body, but Iruka felt like he was not in his own body. He nodded, turning to face the door. “On three. One.” His leg muscles tightened in anticipation and his heart rate kicked up.

“Two.” Kakashi copied him and faced the thin wooden door keeping them relatively safe. Bit of debris poked at his feet as he readied his body to run for all it was worth.

“Three!”

They shouted simultaneously, launching forward. The door was flung open and slammed into the wall as the two occupants rocketed out of the room and into the hallway.

Iruka knew they had been spotted when the familiar screech of a Clicker invaded his ears and clawed at his brain. Keeping his eyes on the bend up ahead, he ignored the figures darting towards them in his peripherals, all except one. Kakashi was right beside him. The silver-haired man was gaining on him, clearly faster.

Kakashi pumped his legs, trying to go faster but at the same time reluctant to leave his brown haired companion alone. But it would do them no good if they got caught together; he was faster, he needed to get to the room. His feet ached as his bare soles slapped against the marble floor, stepping on sharp pieces of whatever the fuck was on the floor. The prickling at the base of his neck alerted him to the proximity of the Infected, knowing they were closing in on them. _Faster, faster!_  He soon was leaving Iruka far behind, gaining more distance with each step. As the corner that led to their hallway came up, a blast of heat hit him hard. _The fuck?_

He reached the corner and turned, managing to barely stop before running into a huge fire that was engulfing the entire corridor, blocking it off completely. Waves of yellow and orange burned brightly, flickering and taunting him. Mismatched eyes widened as he realized what happened and his hand shot up to protect his eyes from the smoke. The fire he had been stoking earlier had clearly gotten out of control. It had spread from their room to the next one, using discarded books and the dry materials of the carpets to burn as fuel. It would be impossible to go into the room without a fully functional fireman’s suit. There was no point in trying to get their things; they were gone.

Kakashi whirled around, intent on calling out to Iruka and alerting him before the brunette reached him, but froze. Right behind Iruka were more Infected, much more than either of them could dream of fighting. He doubted even he could handle that many even fully armed. There were mainly Runners and Stalkers pouring in after the terrified teacher.

Cursing wildly, Kakashi knew the only way out was to go down, where he knew more were probably coming in from. Maybe they could have fought if the dogs were there, but it was too late to regret not bringing them. Noticing a faded sign that said “stairs” Kakashi began waving Iruka towards it. _Out of the fire and into the frying pan. Lovely._ He got inside and propped the door open with his leg as he waited for Iruka to get closer.

Seeing Kakashi indicate wildly to go to the stairs was the first sign that they had fucked up. The second was the intense heat and clouds of billowing smoke that erupted from the hallway where his room had been. The third had been the sudden sound of gun ammo going off, popping loudly as the fire encroached into the adjacent hallway. Wincing with the gunshots and trying not to focus on how much his legs were aching, Iruka sprinted into the staircase. As soon as he made it through, Kakashi shut the door quickly and locked it. Thankfully, the infected had been distracted slightly be the shots, giving the teacher just the right amount of time to escape. Kakashi then grabbed Iruka’s hand in an iron grip and began running down the stairs.

“The entire corridor is out, so we have no weapons besides your pick. Which in this situation, is useless.” Kakashi grunted as he jogged down, his voice sounding tightly controlled. Their footsteps echoed loudly, momentarily drowning out the sounds of the Infected screeching for their victims. Clouds of dirt billowed up, swirling in the sunlight that shined through the thin windows adorning the outer wall.

“The bottom floor is where they were coming from. We’re heading right towards them.” Iruka said breathily, getting a stitch in his side.

“The fire is spreading quickly. If we can get out and barricade them in, it’ll kill them off. If we stay up here, we’re more likely to die from smoke inhalation or burning to death.”

“And if we go down there with no weapons or some means of defense, we're serving ourselves up on a silver platter.” Once they reached the last few steps, Iruka pulled his hand away. “Kakashi, wait.” He panted out, bending over and holding his side. “I can’t run anymore.” He clutched the railing and pressed his forehead against it, inhaling deeply as he fought off the lactic acid build up in his muscles.

“Rest up quickly. We’re running out of time.” Kakashi ordered, going to the metal door separating them from the bottom floor of the library. He peered through the small window that was on the door. This area was dark, with no light penetrating through the stairway. Kakashi knew this was where the Infected were coming in from. From what he could gleam from the directory on the wall, all of the building’s old machinery were waiting in the darkness. The issue would be finding an exit in the pitch black, while avoiding getting mauled.

Mismatched eyes shot wide open when a Clicker limped by, clicking softly as it moved. The fungus on its head flashed a light lilac color as it drifted by the lighted stairway, clearly unaware it was being watched. Kakashi trailed it until it disappeared further into the room, its presence only indicated by its croaks.

“What do you see?” Iruka grunted, finally standing up. He nodded towards the door. “Are we clear?” He tied his ice axe to his pants, using several bits of string he always kept in his pants pocket.

“Everything but clear. Just saw a Clicker go by. For all we know, there could be a nest down here, with much more Infected than what we saw upstairs. We’re stuck.” Kakashi confessed, turning to his brown-haired companion. “We can either stay here and wait to die from dehydration or smoke inhalation, or go back upstairs and die by becoming Infected chow.”

Iruka was silent as he glanced up. Smoke was beginning to sink into the stairwell, slowly drifting down. “What’s option three?”

Kakashi snorted. “Option three to go traipsing into the bowels of the building with nothing but the skin on our backs as defense. It’s pitch black in there and I don’t know where the exits are.” He leaned against the door, letting his head fall back and thump lightly. “Think, think.” He chanted quietly, under his breath.

“If we can’t-”

Iruka was cut off by the sound of a door slamming open and bouncing on the wall behind it. His and Kakashi’s heads shot up to see the vague outlines of Infected coming in from the door they had entered, some screeching as fire consumed their body. The creatures piled in, making their way down. Smoke poured in, quickly seeping down and filling the stairway.

“Shit!” Kakashi cursed, shoving off the door. “We need to move now.”

“Wait, do you hear that?” Iruka paused, knowing it was dangerous to stop for even a second, but the noise demanded attention. He feared to hope.

Kakashi’s head jerked toward the door. His eyes widened and what Iruka assumed was a smile crinkled his eyes. “I hear barking.”

The taller man shoved the heavy door open and whistled as loudly as he could. Immediately, he was answered by a few long hauls and growls. It was accompanied by the groaning and ticking of a Clicker making a bee line for them, its figure just barely visible.

Before it could get any closer, a white furry figure bounded in as fast a lightning, tackling the clicker and making quick work of its head and torso. A brown furred animal popped up beside it before running to greet Iruka by jumping up on its hind legs and straining to lick his face.

“Raikiri!” Iruka cried, never having been so relieved to see his familiar companion. He furiously rubbed the dog’s head, giving him a tight hug. A few more licks and Raikiri pushed away, having noticed the figures still making their way down the stairs. His hackles rose and his black muzzle parted to show sharp teeth. He growled menacingly, his ears lying flat as he leapt onto the stairs and up towards his targets. Not a few seconds later and he was accompanied by the white dog and few more of the canines.

By now, heavy amounts of smoke had sunk down, letting Kakashi and Iruka know that the fire had spread like wild fire, possibly reaching their floor. The entire library was chock full of flammable material. They needed to get out fast. Trapping the Infected within the building was no longer the plan; it was to get out alive with the dogs.

“Let’s go, before they have to waste time protecting us. Once they know we’re safe, they’ll come out.” Kakashi urged, sprinting into the darkness. He was trailed by only a few of the canines, as the others had disappeared to take care of more Infected. Iruka was next to him, vowing not to fall behind again.

Running headfirst into pitch black was something Kakashi didn’t like one bit. It went against everything he had ever learned and taught his companions. It was stupid and suicidal. The predator is the one that waited in the shadows for the prey to run in. That’s why when he felt grimy clawed hands latch onto his leg and _pull_ , he wasn’t entirely surprised.

Landing hard, his head bounced on the floor and he saw stars. One of his dogs recognized the problem and went in for the kill, sinking its teeth into the Infected’s leg and dragging it off its master.

Iruka blindly got down and felt for Kakashi, having heard the man’s grunt as he felt. Once he felt thick intact shoulders under his palms, he heaved the man up. “C’mon, c’mon.” He yelled, feeling panicky. He wanted to get out, now! Several times he had felt what seemed like fungus crusted hands glimpse at the back of his neck, or caress his arm. He was terrified. The hairs on the back of his neck were at full attention and his internal alarms were going haywire. From all around, he could hear shuffling and howling as the dogs attacked what he couldn’t see. He was tempted to use his only weapon, but the idea of losing it in the pitch black of the room kept him from touching it. It primarily rested on sight and strength to use. Flailing it around with Kakashi nearby would result in a less than favorable outcome. There was also the chance he could end up hurting one of the dogs.

The taller man quickly got to his feet, running recklessly. It was a miracle they weren’t tripping over empty boxes or old desks. But he did wonder just what was down here from the amount of snarling and the sounds of ripping flesh that filled the dry air. It seemed to surround them, coming from all angles.

“Kakashi! The window!” Iruka cried, spying the rectangle of light that popped into sight after a few more seconds of blind running. “We can get out through there!” It stood a taller than him, probably at ground level from the outside. The foggy glass allowed for a meager amount of sunlight to slip through, illuminating the area around it like a beacon.

Spying the window, Kakashi made a break for it. They were kicking up clouds of dirt and what he feared might be spores. The particles danced and spiraled in the air, shining as they drifted through the sunbeam leaking in. It was slightly open, letting a tiny breeze through. The position suggested that the dogs had gotten in through it. It was a bit high up, closer to the ceiling.

Reaching the wall, Kakashi got down on one knee next to the wall, lacing his fingers together and propping his hands up. He motioned for Iruka to step into his hands so he could lift him up.

Iruka immediately understood and nodded. Stepping onto Kakashi’s hands, he was hoisted up. Sticking his hands out the window, Iruka clawed his way out, ripping up grass and plants as he dragged himself through the opening. He felt Kakashi’s hands on his ass, shoving him up. Once he was through, Iruka scooted back and stuck his hand down. Feeling Kakashi’s slightly large one clamp onto it, Iruka braced himself with a foot against the building to yank Kakashi out.

A piercing cry suddenly cut through the air. Iruka felt Kakashi’s hand suddenly grip his tighter and refuse to budge. Peering down into the building, his eyes met Kakashi’s, his own heart pounding painfully fast and hard in his chest.

“That was one of my dogs.” Kakashi said tonelessly, his eyes eerily vacant. A fraction of a second passed. “I can’t….” Tearing his hand back, Kakashi spun around and vanished into the depths of the building, leaving Iruka behind.

“Kakashi!” Iruka cried out, reaching out for the man. His hand grasped at thin air. “Fuck!” The teacher slapped a hand against the building’s exterior.

Fearing for the silver-haired man and dreading what the cause of the cry was, Iruka scrambled to his feet and bolted to the other side of the structure. Reaching his usual entrance, he tried kicking the door in. Knowing what was keeping it blocked, he struggled to move it even a few inches in, damning his own safety measures. After a few attempts, it was clear the door wasn’t budging. “Goddammit!” Iruka yelled, frustrated. Giving the door one last angry kick, Iruka ran to the only other entrance to the edifice. He had to get back in. He silently prayed that it wasn’t Raikiri that cried out, but felt awful that he’d rather another dog get hurt than his own. 

**xXx**

The entire floor was inundated with thick heavy smoke that burned his eyes. Squinting and trying not to inhale too much smoke, Kakashi wandered aimlessly through the building, gagging as he tried to whistle. All he could see were waves black and orange swarming around, heating the building up to dangerous temperatures. His skin burned and felt like it was cooking in the blistering heat. He could swear most of his hair was burnt off.

He whistled again, the shrill noise piercing through roar of the raging fires. Finally hearing familiar faint barking respond to his calls, Kakashi ran towards it, his heart in his throat. His feet hurt, singed with fallen ashes and sparks. Chunks of debris dug into his soles as he sprinted towards the barking, honing in on it. The air in his chest stung, but all he could focus on was reaching his canines. Running down a flight of stairs before they were swallowed up by the flames, Kakashi found his pets.

They were whimpering and cowering together on the floor, all surrounding one in the middle. Bloodied white fur peeked up from the soot covered mass. It was breathing shallowly, letting out soft whines.

His heart dropped to his feet and Kakashi nearly froze, slowing down. Fear crowding his chest, and making his blood run cold in his veins, Kakashi reached the circle of wolf dog. Stepping over them, he reached out to lightly touch his beloved companion, crouching down beside her. “Hey girl.” He whispered softly, parting the dirtied fur as he searched for wounds. Everything around him seemed to disappeared as he saw several splintered ribs poking out of the dog’s body, jutting out into the open air. Patches of hair, skin, and meat were ripped away, leaving open holes in the once strong body. He recognized the brutality as the doing of a Clicker. Blood dribbled out, leaking onto the floor and painting his feet. The warmth was sickening. The other dogs whined and shuffled around. They knew.

Very gently, he cradled the dog’s head in his arms, looking into grey pain-filled eyes. The pupils were dilated, twitching as they focused on him. A low whine escaped the injured canine. His thumbs gently brushed her snout. “Shhh, shhh. You’re okay, you’re alright.” He crooned, his voice breaking as ran his fingers through the sticky fur. He smiled, feeling his face contort strangely as he worked to hold onto the grimace that was hurting his face. “You’re a good girl. You’re okay, you’re all right.” The taller man whispered, his chest tightening as he lied.

The dog’s eyes closed, a warm tongue slipping out to run weakly against his palm. Her head dropped back, falling heavily onto his arm. Kakashi bowed his head, his teeth clenched tightly.

The sharp crackle of fire drew his attention. Feeling disconnected and numb, Kakashi realized they were nearly surrounded by heavy flames. It was in the main room now, raging as it was fueled by decades old books and wood. The glass windows were shattering, tinkering as they cracked and exploded. He was mildly surprised it hadn’t reached him sooner. The dogs were barking now, agitated and scared. They were up on all fours, circling and whining. With a heavy heart, Kakashi realized that they were stuck. 

Fighting the desperation that hit him, Kakashi fought his body for control. _This isn’t the moment for this. They need me._ Gathering his wits and determination, Kakashi scooped up the white wolf dog, buckling under the weight but determined. If she had to die, it wasn’t going to be in this hell hole. She deserved better. Minding her wounds and trying not to jostle her, Kakashi cradled her protectively in his arms as he gazed hopelessly around, unable to see past the walls of fire that surround him and the other canines. His mind raced to remember the layout of the building and to recall some exit, but he was coming up blank. He couldn’t think straight, as much as he tried. His arms shook.

“KAKASHI!”

His neck nearly getting whiplash, Kakashi’s head twisted around to see a staggering Iruka bursting through a closed hallway and into the room. The teacher was ramming a cart through the mess of moldy boxes and books, creating a path. Vigorously, he pointed behind him. “This way, come on! I found a way out! Quickly!”

Kakashi darted forward towards Iruka, following the brunette to the front of the library. The pack of dogs quickly followed, howling as they escaped to freedom.

They reached the entrance. The thick, heavy doors had been broken in; jagged pieces of ancient wood lay scattered on the floor, mixing in with what looked like shards from a chain. Iruka’s ice axe was embedded deeply in the remaining wood, the handle lying on the floor. The psychology teacher had basically clawed his way back in to help, sacrificing his own personal weapon in the effort.

Gazing down at the still body in his hands, Kakashi was silent.

**xXx**

The sound of a shovel digging into the earth filled the air. With each shovelful, Kakashi watched the brown dirt sprinkle onto the makeshift wooden coffin, covering it little by little. His hands blistering from the work, and his back aching, Kakashi ignored his body’s complaints. He focused on the spade, watching it disappear and reappear as he dug. A strong breeze drifted by, causing the tree that over looked the graveyard to shake and dance. The sound of its leaves rustling hid the noise of the shovel. The smell of fire still lingered in the air; it was fainter. The library was nearly gone, having been swallowed up by the flames moments after they escaped. They were lucky to be alive.

Nearly finished, Kakashi spared a glance around him, at the other unmarked mounds that each represented a torn piece of his soul he’d never get back. And now he was adding another member. Gritting his teeth, he went back to work, moving faster.

Iruka watched onward with sorrowful eyes. He stood a ways back, not wanting to intrude. He already loved his pet so much, he couldn’t imagine the pain of losing one. As harsh as it was, it was one of the realities of their time. Everyone was subject to death; no one escapes. He had seen many couples ripped apart, families destroyed, and loved ones killed brutally. Children murdered before their parent’s eyes, mothers and fathers turning on each other. This world was no place for love. To fall in love, whether human or to a pet, was incredibly dangerous. The chances of that sentiment turning to pain were always high, with no positives. Who would willingly pursue something so special and precious in a world like theirs?

But he had; he’d adopted his own furry companion that wormed his way into his heart. He had broken one of the very few rules he created for himself. Beside him, Raikiri was just as silent. The German Shepard was patched up from his own wounds he received in the burning library. Iruka surmised that the building would be almost gone by now, leaving only a skeleton of what it had been, and with it, everything he had lived for. He had next to nothing now.

The shoveling stopped. Iruka pushed several strands of wayward brown hair behind his ear. Kakashi straightened up, planting the shovel in the ground besides the new pile of earth. He stood there, immobile, his back to Iruka. Licking his lips, Iruka stepped forward. A tan, singed hand reached out towards Kakashi’s shoulder, stopping before it made contact.

“Kakashi,” He began lamely, trying to come up with something to say but finding nothing. He didn’t know that pain, and he didn’t want to know. How could a person continue to live with that much pain and suffering in one heart? He was aware of the other mounds of dirt around Kakashi, aware that the white dog hadn’t been the first. But something told him that one had been truly special.

“You don’t need to feel sorry for me, or for her. You don’t need to blame anything. We know the risks of living in the world, we know what can happen. You can tell this isn’t the first time I’ve lost something close to me.” Kakashi spoke softly, not turning around. “This isn’t the first time, but I never get used to it.” A wayward pale hand crept over his heart, feeling it beat strongly beneath its touch. He rubbed at the spot, as if it would sooth the ache.

Kakashi closed his eyes, tilting his chin up as he focused on the coolness of the breeze. He smiled, this time genuinely. He could picture her somewhere happy where she wasn’t in any danger. They had been together for a long time; she was resting now, far away from their fucked up world. He let the agony wash over him, appreciating it in a painful way. The more it hurt, the more he knew he was alive. “Each time it’s like a new slice, reaching places I thought were dead. The worst is that I know it won’t be the last, not as long as I’m still alive.”

Hands wrapped themselves around his chest from behind, one tan one covering his own. Taken off guard, Kakashi’s eyes opened and glanced down at the arms around him. He felt Iruka’s face press into the middle of his back. The brunette was hugging him tightly, the embrace almost painful.

Unable to convey what he wanted to say into words, Iruka tried to express his feelings into the grip. Kakashi was strong, stronger than he could ever be. He submitted himself to that type of loss willingly, knowing it was inevitable. For a man who he had once thought of as cold and dangerous, Kakashi had a huge, scar-filled heart.

“You tell me not to be sorry but I still am.” Iruka spoke, his voice muffled by the fabric on Kakashi’s back. “You tell me not to blame, but I feel it. I can’t help it.” He fought back the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry that this happened and I’m sorry I can’t be of more comfort. For everything I know, this is something I’m not familiar with and I don’t know what to do.” He pressed his face deep into the taller man’s back, feeling almost ashamed as his inadequacy.

“I’m telling you not to blame yourself, because it was neither my fault nor yours.” Kakashi said quietly. “There are too many “ifs” to try to place blame, it’s not even worth it. Believe me, I know them all. I’m telling you not to feel sorry, since it’s better this way. One less soul to suffer here with us. She’s free now. Besides, you don’t need to say anything. I can read you like a book and I know what you want to say, even if you don’t.”

This time, Iruka fell quiet, simply clinging onto Kakashi. They stood there, watching the sun slowly drift across the sky. Iruka felt no need to break away and Kakashi made no move to end the embrace. It was peaceful, soothing. It was painful to know that Kakashi had suffered through this experience multiple times, all alone. It was a wonder that the man was still as sane and as functional was he was. He felt Kakashi lean into the embrace, resting slightly against him.

Iruka let his mind wander, but never once let go of the taller man. He vaguely recognized that a long time had passed since Kakashi finished digging. How long had they been there? He had to go home soo- Oh. Realizing with a start that he was now homeless and therefore had nowhere to go, Iruka shoved the thought aside quickly. He would worry about that later. If human contact was all he could offer Kakashi, he was willing to spend the entire day like this, no matter how ludicrous it sounded. He felt somewhat indebted, felt an urge to stay with the man. Lapsing back into calmer thoughts, Iruka tilted his head and looked around.

They were in the backyard of Kakashi’s house, in a secluded corner that was overlooked by an enormous tree. The grass wild and tangled, but it never covered one of the mounds. In all, he counted around 7 other graves. Where they all canines?

Working up the courage to ask, Iruka swallowed, his arms tightening unintentionally. “A-are all of these tombs, dogs?” He finally asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

He felt Kakashi’s voice vibrate through his chest. “Four of them are dogs. Three were actual people.”

“Family?”

Kakashi shook his head. “Just people I met and began to care for before I had to kill them.”

Iruka hummed quietly. “Why’d you kill them?” he inquired carefully. It was obvious that Kakashi held no moral qualms about taking another person’s life, but to bury them here next to his deceased canines signified that they had been important.

“They had been bitten,” Kakashi sighed. “It doesn’t take long to change after one bites you; I found out the hard way. Removing the infected limb doesn’t help either.” Her rubbed at his shoulder. “One was bitten by a Stalker that had followed us here; the woman was subsequently bitten by him once he changed. She tried to protect their daughter…” Kakashi waved in the direction of a smaller grave. “I was out gathering supplies to stock up on. By the time I got back, it was too late. I found her sitting next to him, with their baby girl in her hands.” The taller man’s voice trailed off before picking back up again, much quieter than before. “She had managed to kill the man, but begged me to finish them off. She didn’t have the heart to kill her own child. She wanted to die first, not wanting see her little girl change. I obliged.”

“How horrible,” Iruka whispered, gazing at the graves.

Kakashi hummed committedly. “Asuma loved Kurenai. He tried to protect her, but failed. He did manage kill the Stalker that bit him, but that’s where the good part ends. He then tried to cut off the part of his hand that had the mark, but Kurenai told me it hadn’t worked. It took about 3 hours before he changed fully and attacked her and the baby,” Kakashi shivered as a cool breeze swept by. “It was raining that day.”

Iruka closed his eyes. It solidified his stance against becoming too attached to anyone. Love was inherently doomed here. This world no longer supported such fantasies; they all ended in blood and pain. _But you’re getting attached to Kakashi,_ his mind warned. _This could be your last chanc-_ Iruka firmly pushed the niggling though away. He and Kakashi were nothing more than friends. Close friends, but that was it. He didn’t want to be the one that had to lower Kakashi’s body down below the earth.

“It’s getting late,” Kakashi mused, looking up. Iruka had lapsed into silence, still clutching onto him. He frowned as Iruka removed his arms quickly and stepped away. A chill ran down his spine as Iruka’s body heat drifted away. He already missed the contact.

“Ah, yes. I should probably get going,” Iruka started, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Get going where?” Kakashi turned to look at the brunette, a confused look on his tired face.

“I…” There was nowhere for him to go. Leaving town now would be useless as he lost all his supplies and gear. He had no weapons, no food, and not even a map to tell him where to go. Everything had been burned up, turned to ash.

“Don’t be stupid. You’re staying with me.” Kakashi ordered. Something told him he would need to keep Iruka closer than before. He acknowledged that the teacher might be somewhat unaware of his feelings towards him, but he still wanted the man next to him. He had lost so much already; he didn’t want to lose the brunette as well.

He suspected that Iruka avoided relationships at all costs, seeing as how he never mentioned them despite being a bit of a talker. He pointedly mentioned he never had anyone special even before the outbreak happened. The teacher would leave before forming any connections with anyone. It was an ingenious idea. Being overly sentimental could get you killed, and focusing on keeping others alive before you was definitely a one way ticket to death. But choosing to have those attachments despite the absurdity of it was what kept Kakashi sane, and kept him. He was surprised that he, the ex-militant and loner would value the little connections he made, when Iruka, the sociable and likeable teacher, would actively refuse them. It was contradictory.

Sure he tried to kill everyone he met now, but he had learned to treasure the people he met before he decided it was better off to be alone. Iruka was proof he still wanted that human contact. Instead of killing him off, he had grown to have feelings for him, feelings he knew Iruka could reciprocate.

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Iruka stammered, taking a step back.

“I told you not to be stupid. Do you really think going out right now is a good idea?” Kakashi challenged, reaching out to grab Iruka’s hand. He wasn’t going to let him go. “You’re supposed to be the smart teacher, not the dumb student.”

“I am,” Iruka said indignantly. Finding no counterargument, he tugged his hand back, trying to free it from Kakashi’s grip. “I would just prefer if-”

“I don’t think I can handle being alone right now,” Kakashi admitted quietly, tightening his grip. “And I know you’d be the safest in my home.” He felt Iruka’s fingers begin to slowly curl around his own.


	9. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to those who don't play/know the world of the game. Enjoy.

It was strange not to hear the Infected prowling around outside. It was a stark difference to what he heard on a nightly basis back in the library. In his new room, Iruka could hear the creaks of Kakashi's house, his own breathing, and the occasional snuff from one of the dogs. Raikiri had joined his brethren in another room, not too far away from his master. No moonlight penetrated the thick, dusty curtain that hid his window, leaving him in pitch darkness. It had been hours since the funeral. The sun had long gone down but Iruka couldn't sleep. Staring blankly up at the ceiling, he pondered his situation for the nth time, not knowing what to do.

His home -however temporary it had been- was gone, and with it, everything that had been to his name. His maps, his supplies, the bag of seeds that had been his salvation. He had basically nothing left but the clothes on his back. Even his trusty weapon had been sacrificed, broken in a frenzy to get to Kakashi. He would need to find a suitable replacement, something that would mimic the axe since he only knew how to wield hand weapons. And now he was stuck mooching off of Kakashi for protection and food. He'd need to leave soon, to find new place to begin. He had nothing left here.

The teacher shifted in his makeshift bed, feeling his hips hurt as he turned to his side. Brown locks drifted onto his face, reeking of smoke and fire, mingling with the musk of old sheets. God he wished he could shower. Twisting his fingers into a fist, he brought his legs up, curling them into his body. His hands ached, still sore from hacking away at the doors to get to Kakashi.

He barely remembered the state he had been in while bursting through. The only thing on the professor's mind had been Kakashi and the dogs unable to get out. He had been scared, worried, frantic….. The next thing he knew, he was screaming Kakashi's name, running in and seeing a broken body in the ex-militant's arms.

The room was slowly beginning to brighten. How long had it been? What time was it? Shuffling to lay on his back again, Iruka threw an arm over his eyes. What to do. The teacher knew getting attached to Kakashi was the last thing he needed to do, but he had done it. Should he leave, what would become of Kakashi? It was obvious the man could take care of himself and his furry pack, but nevertheless, Iruka worried. It was ironic how he who had nothing, was worried for the one that had everything.

Sighing heavily, the brown-haired man wriggled around, unable to neither get comfortable nor put his mind at ease. He was caught between wanting to leave and wanting to stay. If he were to leave, should Raikiri come with him? But he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to feed and care for the German Shepard. The dog was better off staying with Kakashi, but damned if Iruka wouldn't miss him. He'd fare better having the dog as a guard, but it wouldn't be fair to Raikiri.

Kakashi would try to stop him. He knew it. It would only make it all the more difficult to leave.

Unable to think of responses to his own questions, Iruka felt himself finally begin to doze off. He welcomed the numbing embrace of unconsciousness with open arms, hoping for a reprieve from reality.

**xXx**

The room had brightened considerably when he opened his eyes again. Yawning heavily, Iruka sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked around groggily in brief confusion at his unfamiliar surroundings before remembering yesterday's events.

He was laying on nothing more than a mattress that had seen better days, fitted with few moth eaten sheets to use for warmth. Kakashi had tried to offer his own bedroom with an actual mattress on a frame, but he had declined. He was okay with this. The room he was in was fairly comfortable, larger than his space at the library. There was an old mahogany armoir shoved up against the wall opposite of him, and a quaint bedside table was next to his makeshift bed. While old and fairly dirty, the carpet was a khaki color littered with various stains Iruka didn't want to inquire about. All in all, it was the nicest room he had been in for an extremely long time. It felt luxurious compared to his usual Spartan accommodations.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd wake up." Came a soft but deep voice off to his side

Iruka quickly glanced up that doorway, his eyes taking in the lean figure that demanded attention. Donned in his usual army style pants and black tee, Kakashi was resting on the frame, absentmindedly reading his porn book. He was slouched, one hand in his pocket while the other held the book– his usual stance. Mismatched eyes glanced up from the dusty pages to meet Iruka's. Iruka cocked his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. Was Kakashi guarding the door?

"But never mind. We need to get going." Kakashi snapped the book shut, straightening his posture. He slipped the orange sex book into his pocket. "You'll need to eat something before we leave." He looked at the smaller man expectantly, waiting for him to move.

Somewhat suspicious, Iruka slowly got to his feet, eyeing Kakashi. "And where will we be going?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. After what happened yesterday he welcomed any distraction and was sure Kakashi definitely needed one. But that didn't mean he would go along with just whatever Kakashi decided.

"Since you're an official resident of house Hatake now, you'll be assigned a position. I, as the head, am in charge of food and keeping the grounds safe. You, as the newest tenant will be taking the rounds with me and learning the ropes."

"Kakashi," Iruka began, feeling a tad nervous. How was he going to explain that he planned to leave?" "I-"

"-Have nowhere to go." Kakashi interrupted brusquely, crossing his arms, the muscles standing out. The man's tone booked nor argument, coming with a hard edge of reason. His red and grey gaze bore into Iruka's, highlighting how intimidating the man could be. "You've got no weapons, no food, no housing…"

"As I'm well aware of." Iruka spoke through gritted teeth. Despite him knowing the situation he was in, he still didn't like it listed to him.

"And therefore, you'll be staying here, at my insistence." Kakashi finished. "I'm not letting you go." He said lightly, unaware of the twinge the words caused in Iruka. "You're staying with me." He added, trying to keep it from sounding like he was holding the professor hostage. He wanted Iruka to depend on him, but didn't want to scare the man away. He knew Iruka was on the verge of leaving; he just had to convince him to stay.

Was it selfish on his behalf? Absolutely. But Kakashi ignored that part of his conscious, preferring to listen to the side that declared his intentions innocent. Iruka truly needed help, and Kakashi was willing to do everything in his power to help. After yesterday's horrific turn, he'd rather keep those close to him safe. He didn't want Iruka to leave his sight.

Biting his lip, Iruka relented slightly. Perhaps he should stay a little longer, just to gather more supplies that he could take with him. Kakashi was telling the truth; it would be better to stick around for a bit, just to be better prepared.

"Alright, but I'll need a weapon." Iruka mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "My axe…was destroyed."

Kakashi grinned, eyes lighting up mischievously. "I think I've found a suitable replacement. Temporary, if you don't like it."

Iruka looked up curiously. "What it is?" He asked, looking around the tall figure. He didn't see Kakashi holding anything, and there was nothing behind him.

"Get ready and I'll bring it." Kakashi ordered, turning to leave the room. He reappeared a few seconds later, with some clothes bunched in his hands. "Here's something if you want to change. We can go wash yours later, but you'll have to do with these in the meantime.

Iruka ungracefully caught the offered clothes. "Thanks." He said gratefully, looking up only to see that Kakashi had disappeared again. Glancing down at the cloth in his hands, Iruka inspected the items. He had been handed a faded gray short sleeve shirt with something that looked like a leaf imprinted in the middle, and a pair of old denim jeans that looked around his size. Dropping them, Iruka tugged off his own shirt, wincing at the reek of smoke that clung to it. He doubted he'd still want to wear his own clothes, even if he did wash them.

The professor quickly slipped on Kakashi's clothes. The shirt hung on his shoulders and the jeans were loose around his hips. Iruka tugged the shirt up, pressing it to his nose. It smelt of something woodsy and strong. He felt…safe. They smelled like Kakashi did.

"Here it is."

Startled out of his thoughts, Iruka let the shirt go and looked up to see Kakashi pointing a rusty metal pipe at him. The pipe had a pair of broken scissor blades duct-taped firmly to the curve at the top. Iruka blinked owlishly. A brown eyebrow rose as he reached out slowly and took the weapon.

"You made it?" He queried, examining it. The plumbing piece was thick, but sturdy. It wouldn't replace his axe, but it would do. The scissors might have been overkill, but he wasn't about to complain. Kakashi had taken the time to make him a weapon, and had even smoothed over what would be the handle to make it more comfortable. He smiled.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, twitching as his fingers graced his healing head wound. "It was either this or a baseball bat. I know you're not as comfortable with guns as you are with a melee weapon, so I figured this would suffice until we find something you'd really prefer."

"It's perfect." Iruka's smiled widened into a grin. "I love it."

Kakashi looked pleased with himself. "Now hurry up. We've got work to do."

**xXx**

Equipped with a dark purple hiking backpack, courtesy of Kakashi, and his new weapon, Iruka followed the silver-haired man as they made their way through the city limits.

"This isn't the way we went when you first showed me the city." Iruka spoke up conversationally, gazing around. In fact, they were traveling in the opposite direction. They looked to be heading into the denser parts of the city, where Kakashi had specifically prohibited from traversing when they had first begun to get along.

"We're heading into the areas I haven't secured." Kakashi explained. "Since we're a two man team now, we can cover more than I would initially by myself." He fiddled with the straps on his backpack.

"So we're heading into Infected breeding grounds?" Iruka deadpanned, nervously eyeing every building they passed. "Not exactly my idea of fun time." The tall skyscrapers were riddled with broken windows. Vines of vibrant green plants sprawled over the concrete structures, weaving in and out of the shattered glass. On the streets below, broken down public transportation buses were resting on punctured tires, their metal frames coated in red rust. Faded advertisements rotted on the hollow husks, reminding the professor of a better time.

Under their feet, the ground became nothing more than chunks of broken pavement, littered with trash and debris. Weeds and strange vegetation grew from the cracks in the roads, their roots creating more breaks as they spread and dominated.

The darkness that pervaded each building could be hiding countless Infected. Each smashed window could be a gateway into Infected hell. The hairs on the back of Iruka's neck rose. He felt watched.

"Not exactly. While I haven't cleared these areas out entirely, I have gotten rid of most of the Infected around. It's a good starting point as we get you adjusted."

"So what's the first stop?"

Kakashi pointed to a far off building. "I promised you a biology lesson on the Infected, and I keep my promises."

"…right." Iruka chuckled nervously. He did want to learn more about the dangerous creatures that roamed the world they inhabited, but he also didn't have a death wish. He had seen enough of them after yesterday. But if he back down, wouldn't he disappoint Kakashi? This was his new occupation… He chewed his bottom lip.

"Do you want a complete run down, or just cover what you don't know?"

"Start at the beginning."

**xXx**

The Clicker had been dead for a while. Crusted to the floor, tendrils of yellow and orange fungus grew upward from its extremities, reaching for sustenance. They seemed to sway in a nonexistent breeze, gently moving from side to side. Thick plates of spongy material spread out from the body, growing up the door it rested against. Layers of the matter grew over each other, adding a dense coating over the torso and head.

Iruka's lips curled in disgust. The warm, moist air felt like it was clinging to him. The stench wafting off the body was disgusting. He was grateful when Kakashi pulled out a few matches and burned the body. He watched the fire consume the corpse. The acrid smell burned his nose, but was a welcome replacement.

Kakashi turned to his brown-haired companion, nodding towards the burning corpse. "The strain that we can get infected with is called Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis. Originally, it only affected insects, but it mutated and was transferred to humans. It's parasitic, taking over a host's body and controlling it. As you know there are several stages."

"The Runners, the Stalkers, the Clickers…."Iruka filled in, ticking them off in his head. He tore his gaze from the Clicker and looked around the small room. Rotted cardboard boxes were scattered around, with fading logos adorning them. Moldy shoes ranging from women's high heels to men's boots decorated the floor.

"And the Bloaters, the worst and final stage. Do you know how the fungus spreads?" Kakashi inquired, his tone coming off as almost bored. This was all old information to him, but this was for Iruka.

"Bites and spores." Iruka answered, feeling like a budding student. It was strange to be a student again, rather than a teacher.

"Specifically, breathing in spores, and contact with bodily fluids of an infected, which is usually in the form a bite. Once the spores enter your body, you're fucked. Come on." Kakashi tugged on Iruka's arm, leading him out of the backroom of the store they were in. Once outside, Kakashi stuck his hands into his pockets, slouching a bit. "The buildings with more open widows and wider rooms are generally safe from Infected corpses since there is a constant air flow that disrupts spore development. Areas with damp and stagnant air are where more Infected go to die to promote the survival of the fungus."

"You said that the Stalkers followed us." Iruka interrupted, turning to look at his companion. "Does that mean they retain mental capabilities?"

Kakashi looked off to the side, gathering his thoughts. "It was theorized for a while that with each stage, more and more brain mass is converted into food for the fungus. With each subsequent stage, cognizance is stripped. As a Runner, a person no longer has much control over their body but is believed to still be mentally there. This changes drastically with a Stalker, as all human-like characteristics are replaced with feral instincts. Any human thoughts are gone, leaving behind a mindless body."

Iruka hummed. "It would make sense. Should the higher areas of the brain be eaten away first, that would leave the brainstem and other sections in charge. The closer to the spine, the older the area of the brain. Should the cortex be taken away, it would leave the body to work with its most basic of instincts. The fungus could act like some sort of communicator, creating a hive mind that would explain their behavior." He mused, unaware of the curious look Kakashi sent him.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Well, yours is probably better due to your profession." Kakashi shrugged. "While I was privy to a lot of classified information, I wasn't really up to date on the latest theories about them. It wasn't long before the real outbreak occurred and most of humanity was wiped out."

"So then it did reach other countries?" The professor was quiet. It wasn't really a question, but confirmation.

"I was told several other major countries were reporting cases of people losing their shit and attacking others. By then, it was too late to implement evacuation or containment plans. Everyone was caught off-guard. "

"I see." While he had had the vague idea that the outbreak had affected the entire world, it was another thing to see his suspicions confirmed. They were truly all alone.

Feeling the darker mood Iruka was sliding into, Kakashi opted to keep things information, just to keep his mind busy. "Now, on with the lesson. Stalkers are highly aggressive, and choose to attack in numbers. Clickers tend to wander by themselves, but can use a primitive version of echolocation to find you since they no longer can see. As you've probably noticed, Clickers are the smarter ones. Should they suspect a food is around, they'll search and come back, constantly checking. It's better to kill them, but if you can't, my advice is to sneak away from them until you have the advantage. Runners are hell if they're a lot of them, but are the easiest to deal with since they're still sort of human and can therefore be predictable."

"What do you know about the big ones?" Iruka thought back to the huge holes in the walls he had seen when first entering and exploring the city. He knew only stories, never having the displeasure of meeting them.

"The Bloaters?" Kakashi rubbed his chin. He picked up the pace a bit, forcing Iruka to quicken his stride. "I've never actually encountered one, so I wouldn't be able to tell you a lot about them. Even the old reports don't stay much about them besides the fact that they exist. Since we have so little information on them, I don't have any advice on how to deal with them." He produced a several folded papers, handing them to the curious professor.

Unfolding the ratted paper, Iruka read aloud the small paragraph under the title. "The Center for Disease Control has produced this pamphlet on Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI) to increase awareness and prevention of infection."

Kakashi snorted. "Not that it did much. Anyways, it covers what I've told you, as well as the smaller details."

Iruka skimmed the pamphlet, stopping when he reached the last line. "CBI can be diagnosed using a blood or microscopic imaging test, usually administered against the ear. Within minutes of contraction, the results of this test will come out positive. I didn't know there was an actual test." He finished reading, peering over at Kakashi. "What's that like?"

The taller man tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. "It's this device all military grade personnel had to have. It looks like a price scanner, from a supermarket. They put it up against the back of your ear, and it will flash red if you're infected, green if you're clean."

Smoothing out the creases from the other paper handed to him, Iruka noticed this document had drawings. "FEDRA Stages of Infected." He recognized the crudely drawn images of the Infected, each in its own little box with something scrawled underneath it. His eyes falling to the last box, he was a bit dismayed to see the image missing, having been torn away. "Is this where the Bloater would be?"

Kakashi nodded solemnly. "When I found it, it was already torn. All I know is that they're the final stage, and you know it's not pretty."

"So the plan is to kill them before they reach that point?

"Pretty much."

"But I suppose you have an emergency plan? If plan A fails, then a plan B?" He knew Kakashi was meticulous; despite not knowing about one stage, he'd be prepared for whatever it brought. Iruka tucked the papers away, securing them in his pack. He wanted to study them further, when he was back in his new room.

"You know me too well." Kakashi chuckled. He paused and looked around, peering at the buildings around them. He spied the small markings he left on each building to signify its clearance; unnoticeable of you didn't know what you were looking for. He had an outpost somewhere around here as back up. "Do you want to see plan B?" His mismatched eyes met Iruka's brown ones, drawing the brunette's attention.

Iruka nodded, intrigued. "How many plans do you have?" He huffed out as Kakashi took off in a light jog.

"Surprisingly, just a few. I know the limits of what I can do, so all my plans are tailored to what I might be able to pull off in an emergency." He entered through the back door of some once fancy hotel, creaking open the double doors of the kitchen. With Iruka right behind him, he marched past all the old discolored cooking equipment and into a stairwell. They quickly ascended, heading for the top floor.

Thankfully, the building wasn't too tall, just wide. Nearly out of breath, Iruka watched Kakashi enter the last hallway and begin to open and close the doors one-by-one.

"Shouldn't you know the location of your plans?" Iruka teased, catching his breath and watching the silver-haired man ping-pong across the hall.

"I do, I'm just making sure to cover all my bases." Kakashi called back, finally stopping at the last door. Peeking in, he waved Iruka forward. "And here's Plan B."

The floor creaking loudly under his boots, Iruka followed the taller man into the room. The professor was greeted with yet another suite in disrepair. The ceiling tiles were gone, revealing the wooden skeleton underneath. The wallpaper was peeling off, leaving long strips of odd colored paint. Small plants had managed to take root in the corners, adding some color to the dreary area. He looked around curiously before realizing what Kakashi was referring to.

Resting just beside the only window was a sleek looking rifle. The black metal of the weapon gleamed in the low light the moth-eaten drape allowed in the room. It looked heavy and extremely dangerous, completely out of place. In neat boxes beside the gun were the bullets, all safely kept within immediate reach.

"Holy shit." Iruka breathed, awe-struck. "That's Plan B?"

"I'm more partial to one-on-one when I'm dealing with the Infected, but I'm not stupid enough to think I can't be overtaken if there's a large number." Kakashi clarified. "In the event I'm overwhelmed, this beauty will be my savior."

Walking up to the gun, Iruka brushed aside the curtain. The view from the hotel window was amazing, giving a clear scenic picture of the surrounding buildings and streets. While he wished to never see Plan B in action, he knew the power of the weapon would be nothing short of incredible.

"How on earth did you get this?"

"I knew a few people, who knew more people, who are probably dead. Once things took a turn for the worse, I knew I need to stock up, so I choose my weapons carefully. I got this beauty at an abandoned base some ways away. By the time I got there, everyone was gone so I helped myself." Kakashi strode over to the weapon and lifted it, lining the sights up. It was obvious Kakashi has experience with the gun. It looked comfortable in his hands. "Pop goes the weasel."

"Have you fired it before?"

"Only once, and that's all I needed."

Iruka nodded. "Should I know about a Plan C?"

"Plan C is a little more…exciting." Kakashi purred, setting the gun down. He scooted closer to the window, his upper arm brushing Iruka's shoulder. "See that line of buildings? The ones that are all a gray color? All along the bases, I've strapped explosives, set to blow up if disturbed. They're similar to the smaller traps I have that you've seen."

"Plan C is to blow the city up?" Iruka asked incredulously, his face in disbelief.

Kakashi shook his head. "If the line of buildings go down, it'll create a barrier of rubble that'll give us time to escape. The idea is to take out most of whatever is coming, and then deal with the reduced number. My priority is to defend the city, so abandoning it is out of the question."

"I'm actually surprised at how diligent you are." Iruka praised, his eye brows arching in appraisal. "You've got everything planned out."

The older man shrugged. "When your days are spent talking to yourself and occasionally to dogs, you've got time."

"So is that all you planned to show me?" Iruka backed up from the window, adjusting his backpack straps.

"We have a long day to go." Kakashi snorted. He paused for a moment, a contemplative look crossing his face briefly. "Do you like museums?"

**xXx**

Torrents of loose red bricks were piled on the ground next a giant gaping hole that decorated the wall of the stout building. Moss decorated the bricks, growing in strange patches that followed the mess as it spilled onto the street. Jumping through nimbly, Kakashi kicked one around, forcing a few to go tumbling down the pile. He looked around interestedly before finding a good point to begin exploring.

Gazing at the dilapidated building they were entering, Iruka followed the taller man warily, watching his feet to avoid falling. The entire building had a bit of a tilt to it, making the professor nervous. "Are you sure it's safe to enter?"

"Not at all." Kakashi answered cheekily. "To be honest, I've never been in here before."

"I thought you said you've cleared this area." Iruka stopped walking, alarmed.

"Not this particular building. I've done most of the surrounding ones."

"Right." He nearly groaned. Kakashi had said he needed his help, and Iruka was willing to oblige but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Old wooden furniture and once beautiful paintings decorated the wide area they entered. Gazing around, Iruka took in the boarded up doors and the stench of mold. The air was humid and cool, sinking through his clothes. He shivered.

Almost leaving him behind, Kakashi strode through some double doors, taking a second to mess with a bust on a stand next to him. Nearly knocking it down, he left it alone and wandered into the next room, his voice echoing slightly. "You gotta wonder how old these things are."

"I surmise maybe hundreds. This is a museum after all." Iruka answered absentmindedly as he followed him, looking up at a ragged opening in the ceiling as he passed it. Wooden planks and pieces of cement were jutting out in broken angles, giving him a peek at what lay in the room above. He walked on, stepping over shattered picture frames and mutilated mannequins. Some of them had missing chunks of their face, vaguely resembling some Infected. "Our history, left to rot." Maybe some things were better left forgotten.

"Come on, I found a way through." Kakashi called toward the room behind him. Turning back, he frowned, staring at the blockade that hindered their progress. The chunks of debris could be shifted if they had more men, but they'd have to do with two. Kneeling down, he grasped the bottommost object, heaving it up.

Ducking under a wooden plank that blocked the entrance to the adjacent room, Iruka spotted Kakashi grabbing hold of a large pipe and struggling to lift it. The room was a mess of fallen beams and wayward junk. Half of it was inaccessible, having been victim to a cave in. Underneath the pipe was the only exit, leading to another room.

"Watch your head." Kakashi grunted, shifting to grasp the pipe better. The wooden boards groaned and creaked as he lifted it, shifting around the more he pushed. Dust rained down, accompanied by hunks of plaster.

Iruka followed orders, moving quickly to the opening Kakashi created. Crouching, he crawled into the space and entered the next room, getting to his feet quickly. The second he was through, he heard a loud crash behind him; the ground trembled under his feet, catching him off guard as it shook. Whirling around, he watched the opening disappear and the beams piled down on it. Dirt erupted into the air, forcing him to cover his eyes and mouth and turn away.

"Kakashi!" He cried out, darting forward to move the wreckage out the way once he could see. Had the taller man been in the way? Was he trapped by the rubble? Latching onto a piece of plaster, he yanked it out, throwing it off to the side.

"I'm alive. I'll make my way around to you." He heard Kakashi shout. His voice was muffled, but sounded perfectly okay. "Just keep going, I can't get through here."

"Don't do anything stupid." Iruka called back in relief, abandoning his attempt to free the taller man. If Kakashi was fine, it was better not to make the cave-in less stable. Getting to his feet, he surveyed the room for another exit, holding onto his weapon securely. Everyone always knew nothing good came from splitting up, and Iruka had a feeling he was in for a rough time.

Kakashi grinned. "I'll try." He chuckled.

Admiring the mass that blocked his way to Iruka, Kakashi rubbed his shoulder. Something knocked into him, and fuck it had hurt. He was lucky it hadn't broken it. Reaching onto the side pockets of his backpack, he pulled out a handgun. Cocking the hammer back, he left the wreckage, traveling back towards where they entered. Instead of going back through the hole in the wall, he moved into a small side room with a kitchenette.

Ancient condiment containers were scattered on a table shoved to the side. Paintings of coffee cups lay scattered on the floor, covered in broken glass. Actual mugs were shattered, the porcelain crunching as he walked. Striding further into the room, he discovered a long food counter, with popcorn and coke machines standing solitarily against a bleak background. Empty snack machines off in a corner showed evidence of being damaged, left with no snacks.

The money slot was left untouched.

A long groan altered him that he wasn't alone. Crouching behind the counter, he heard a Runner stalk into the room. Using the glass on the popcorn machine to see, he spotted the reflection of the Infected stumbling around. He was dressed in military gear, similar to Kakashi's, and appeared to be looking for him.

Debating with himself, Kakashi hoped the Infected would simply wander off. If he shot the runner, the noise would draw attention. Although he used this method with the dogs, he was worried Iruka would be overwhelmed by any hidden Infected that would react to the noise. He wouldn't risk it.

Sliding his gun back into its specific pocket, Kakashi shifted to his feet, turning so he could watch the Runner clearly. The Runner had turned his back to him, shuffling towards the entrance.

Swiftly bolting up, Kakashi ran at the Runner and delivered a fast meaty punch to its head, followed by a vicious jab to the runner's spine, knocking it down.

"Graaahhhhhaaa!" The Runner shouted, falling with each blow. Pieces of the fungus fell off, sinking to the ground. It fought back unsuccessfully, trying to claw at Kakashi's legs.

The taller man lifted a boot and stomped down hard, slamming it into Cordyceps mush. Beneath his foot, the skull gave way and broke open, killing the Runner instantly. "Shit." Kakashi breathed, disgusted by the mess now covering his foot. He hobbled over to a few wayward bricks, scraping the edge his boot as he tried to wipe off the fungus.

Huffing a sigh of relief, he rubbed his shoulder again. Deeming the shoe clean enough, he left the kitchenette, determined to find his brunette before anything could go wrong.

**xXx**

"Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _fuck_!" Iruka hissed, making himself as small as possible behind an overturned desk table. Sweat dotted his forehead as he stared at the stained wall in front of him, hoping with every fiber of his being that he was overreacting. Nervously, he peeked over the edge, staring into the darkened room. Nearly shitting his new pair of pants, the professor eyed the two Clickers shuffling in, clicking erratically. He knew it, he fucking knew it!

Wide-eyed, he grasped his weapon tightly and swallowed heavily. There was no way in hell he was fighting them off. One was bad enough, but two? He'd have to sneak by them. Jesus H. Christ.

Iruka turned back, closed his eyes and let his head rest on the surface of the desk, gathering up the will to move. This shouldn't be too hard. He already dealt with unfortunate odds back in the tunnels. He fought in the dark, and lived. He couldn't die here.

Nodding steadfastly, the brunette slowly got to his feet, weapon grasped tightly. He made sure to stay crouched as he left the cover of the table, heading right for the door way that stood between the two Infected.

Holding his breath, the shorter man inched closer, his eyes darting back and forth between the Clickers. He identified one as female, and surmised the other was male by its build, but the fungus caking is face left him unsure. The woman was twitchier, her head jerking rapidly from side to side as he tried to find him. She let out a few ticks, each a different pitch. Iruka imagined the sound waves bouncing around the room telling the Clicker what was happening. How much longer until one hit him?

A soft step. Another. His heartbeat thrumming in his ears, sweat rolling down his temples, Iruka resisted the urge to swallow the buildup of saliva in his mouth out of fear of being heard. The shorter man kept his arms a bit away from his body, using them to balance himself as he inched to the door. His thigh muscles sang in discomfort as he was semi-crouched, ducking to avoid a non-existent eyesight.

The male Clicker released lower pitched clicks as he staggered toward Iruka, suddenly turning onto the teacher's path.

His heart nearly stopping before going into overdrive, Iruka held his breath and crouched down further. Dilated brown eyes were wide, bouncing from each threat. Shifting slightly, a chill ran down his spine as his boot crunched into glass, creating a tinkering noise. The bottom of his stomach dropped to his feet. "Oh shit."

Immediately, the woman let out a sharp wail, her head swiveling around to land on him. Disgusting rotted teeth gnashed in anger. Her body changed from an alert stance to an attack, coming straight for the brunette with wild, dangerous swings. The male imitated her, his clicking increasing as he moved in.

Leaping to his feet, Iruka broke out into a dead sprint, adrenaline pouring into his bloodstream to keep him energized and alive. Blowing past the door he had been attempting to reach, he pulled a hard right, storming down the messy hallway with the Infected on his heels. "Fucking hell!" He cried.

Not knowing the layout of the museum, Iruka prayed he wasn't running into a dead end as he turned again, taking a left after shoving through some broken down double doors. He was met with a wide room, but no visible exits; he was trapped. Skidding slightly on moldy newspapers, he caught his balance and yanked off the pipe Kakashi had given him. He had no choice but to fight. Slamming his body next to the doorframe, Iruka gripped his weapon tightly, his heart galloping in his chest.

Knowing he had seconds, Iruka drew the pipe back and brought it forward as hard as he could once the female clicker appeared. The blades of the broken scissors sank into her head, breaking past the thick layer of Cordyceps like butter. She was shoved back by the force, stumbling as the pipe's weight lengthened the scissors reached. Undaunted, the female roared, reaching up to remove the weapon.

The male Clicker was closing in, his footsteps getting louder. Iruka brought his boot up and kicked at the female's chest, pulling the pipe back. To his dismay, the blades broke off, jutting from her fungal visage like weird metal prongs. Disgusted, the professor slammed the pipe right where the scissors were, pushing them in and effectively severing what was controlling her. The female instantly slumped down, collapsing into a heavy heap at his feet.

He didn't have a moment's reprieve as the male screamed, his claws aimed at the shorter man's face. The Clicker's mouth descended to his neck, its teeth a hair's length away from his very bitable neck. Bringing the pipe up to slam into the Clicker's mouth, Iruka fell back, landing hard on the stony floor with the Clicker inches from his face. Nearly retching with the stench invading his nose, Iruka grunted as he struggled to keep the Clicker from ripping his throat out. "Ngh, fuck!"

He shoved hard, jamming the pipe into the Clicker's maw, preventing it from biting him. Scooting back, Iruka tried to get out from under him. He didn't have nearly the amount of strength needed to wrestle around with a level 3 Infected.

A loud shot rang out, and the body above him froze before fully falling on him. Iruka thrust the corpse away, kicking it further. Breathing heavily with aching ribs protesting the movement, he looked up to see Kakashi standing in the door way, holding a smoking gun. Immediately, the taller man reached out to stand the professor up, patting him for injuries.

"I'm alright." Iruka coughed, shivering as he realized how close he had been. Rubbing his scar, he glanced up and met Kakashi's surprisingly worried gaze. "Thanks."

"You sure you didn't get bitten?" Kakashi questioned, resuming his search despite Iruka's protests. Once satisfied Iruka was safe, he stepped back, giving the brunette some space. He turned, taking in the room. They were in what appeared to be the Prehistoric exhibit, with old dinosaur displays still standing. The ancient bones were in sad disrepair, having not been catered to in many years and the times taking their toll on them.

"I'd be dead if I had." Iruka grunted, touching his neck. A twinge of sadness hit him as he realized his beloved scarf was more than likely ashes. His neck suddenly feeling vulnerable, Iruka self-consciously messed with the collar of the shirt.

"True." Kakashi blew out a breath, putting away his weapon.

"How did you get on this side?" Iruka spoke up, curious. From what he had seen, the part they entered through was nearly impassible. Any routes leading to his area were blocked.

"Found an open window, scaled the ledge and came in through another." Kakashi said simply. "I couldn't leave you alone, not knowing what was in here."

Iruka snorted. "I'm pretty sure we both knew what was in here." He then inspected the older man, noting several new scuffs on his clothes. "Did you run into some trouble?"

"Ah, just a few Runners. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Seems like I lucked out." Iruka quipped sarcastically, calming down. There was just something about Kakashi that made him feel secure, as if they were untouchable. He should know that was far from reality, especially with his close encounter moments ago, but he couldn't help it. He was comfortable with the man.

"Indeed." Humming, the silver-haired man brought out a colorful map from his backpack, decorated with cartoonish drawings detailing which exhibit was in what room. Running his finger down a path, he tapped the face of a grinning T-Rex. "We're here, so we need to go…" He trailed off, focusing on orientating himself to copy the map.

"Where in the world did you get that?" Iruka snickered, looking at the pictures. They were really silly and childish. It had probably been created for school field trips to amuse children visiting the museum.

"Found an unopened packet and took one." Kakashi answered absentmindedly, still focusing on the map. "There were also pens." To show he wasn't lying, he tugged the pilfered drawing utensil from his pocket, presenting it before Iruka.

Taking the dinosaur printed pen, Iruka shook his head. He never knew what to expect with Kakashi. It was either a blessing, or a pain in the ass. "Right, so how do we get out of here?"

**xXx**

In all his years of traveling from one place to another, never staying in one spot for longer than a few weeks, Iruka had never actually seen what a breeding ground for Infected looked like. Disgusted beyond belief and horrified to his very core, he took a step back from the corner he turned, bumping into the solid body behind him.

The walls and ceiling of the damp, dark hallway were coated with strange, spongy fungus that radiated out thick roots that invaded its surroundings. Tendrils of thick fungus created a spider web of connecting matter, attaching itself to the ceiling and dripping to the floor, looping into the exposed piping along the ceiling. Varying shades of pink and orange colored the forsaken walls, creating different layers with each more vile than the last. In the midst of the nauseating organic matter was something that looked like a large white-pedaled flower, with strange red columns with pink tips reaching up from it. It lay in a nest of bulbous orange mounds, accompanied by pale shoots branching out at the bottom.

Along the edges of the creases where the ceiling met the walls, thick, peach colored masses grew wildly, seemingly reminiscent to beehives. They had little pockets that punctuated the surface, a nightmare for individuals with trypophobia. Dancing in the air above the growth were tiny golden particles, swirling with a draft. The air was thick with them, making it hard to see past the yellowish haze. Before he could say a word, a strong hand clamped over his mouth, pinching his nose as well.

"Don't breath. It's the spores coloring the air."

Shivering for a different reason that day, Iruka tried to pulled away from the warm breath ghosting into his ear. Kakashi's mouth was pressed right to the cartilage, separated by mere threads. Seemingly ignoring his movement, Kakashi didn't budge.

Nodding, the shorter man turned a questioning eye to the silver-haired man, forcibly moving away to complete the gaze. Kakashi's hand fell way, leaving behind a pleasant tingle. How were they supposed to go past the stuff if he couldn't breathe? The map had indicated this was the only exit, as the others were caved-in.

Holding up a finger, Kakashi shrugged off his back, dropping it down to his feet. Rummaging through it for a few seconds, he produced an item, handing it to Iruka as he pulled the backpack on.

A gasmask? Iruka stuck the mask on, breathing a sigh of relief as he let air flow into his oxygen-deprived lungs. The mask had thick plastic circular eye guards that let him safely look around, and twin blue canisters on each side of his mouth. The gear smelt a bit funky, but the teacher wasn't about to complain. But if he had the mask, how was Kakashi supposed to breathe? Turning to the older man, Iruka immediately answered his own question. Duh, the man had brought more than one.

Now breathing safely, he turned back to the fungal agglomeration. Inspecting it closer, Iruka was shocked to spy a bony hand hiding amongst the Cordyceps, nearly overtaken by the pink sponge. The fungus was nearly covering it, leeching off the decaying flesh that clung to the phalanges. Dull white bone peeked out in the areas with missing skin.

"He doesn't look fresh." Kakashi commented, following Iruka's stare. Picking up a wayward shard of metal, he nudged the hand. It was stiff, barely moving as he pushed.

"On average, do you find more non-Infected corpses, or Infected ones?" Iruka inquired as he cringed away from the hand. Earlier, he had immediately recognized the Clicker as the victim. This was still human ;the hand didn't look like it had actually been Infected. This person had probably died here from other means, and then used as fungus fuel; it was also possible he was absorbed before he died. The professor grimaced, pitying the person. How tragic.

"Hard to say." Kakashi hummed. "I don't really take the time to check, honestly. As soon as I see this mess, I burn it." Once again digging through his pack, he produced several red bottles, along with a box of matches. Opening one of the bottles and handing to another to Iruka, he emptied the contents onto the fungus, squirting the fluid evenly.

Examining the bottle, Iruka realized it was fire starter. Mimicking the taller man, he dumped the liquid onto the flower and orange stuff. The pungent smell leaked into the mask, making him cough. A hand landed on his shoulder.

"We need to leave before something else shows up." Kakashi warned, his mismatched eyes glancing behind him, watching the darkness. His sharp ears had picked up something shuffling around heavily, something he did not want to meet. He gave the professor a gentle shove. "Get going."

Complying, Iruka picked his way through the growth, his footsteps creating squishing sound as the boots sank into the Cordyceps. Behind him, Kakashi trailed the fire starter. Once a good distance away, he lit a match and set the trail ablaze. Instantly, the fire consumed the entire hallway. Closing a door he passed to seal in the fire and let it run its course, Kakashi shooed Iruka to keep going when the brunette stopped to check up on him.

Iruka was immensely relieved when they left the basement, making their way out of the forsaken building to the outside world. Squinting as brilliant light flooded his eyes, he turned to Kakashi, who was emerging from the building. "What happens now?"

"I have a few more things to touch base on before we call it a day," Kakashi began, sticking the map into his pocket for safe keeping. He held up a hand to his eyes, shielding them from the sun. "We're not too far away, so this won't take long."

Iruka grinned. "I'm all yours."

Kakashi sent him a sly look after a beat of silence. "You will be, soon." He said under his breath. If all went to plan, that is.


	10. Kakashi Takes a Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't beta'd, so expect the worst :)

Dancing wildly in the wind against a stunning blue sky, bright yellow banners flapped to-and-fro, the blocky words printed on them hidden and revealed with each twist. The dark red biohazard symbol next to the words darted into view before another breeze pushed it away.

"Quarantine Zone, no unauthorized entry beyond this point."

Iruka read aloud, his amber eyes trailing over the countless signs placed on every available surface. He took in the tall tattered, empty white tents that had once acted like an impromptu health center for the Infected. The huts stood a few feet high in the air, clustered in bunches as they were each designated for specific reasons. Above the openings were symbols that indicated what was located inside. One had a stock picture of medicine; another had the outlines of a human body and a cot. The plastic clear sheets along the entrances were smeared with dark maroon stains, the logo of the CDC graphitized over in black spray paint. Busted police cars and ambulances were parked around, creating an inefficient barrier. Most of the tents were ruined, offering no protection whatsoever. The ones that still stood were not going to last much longer.

Fuzzy black bacteria grew in colonies, soiling fabric that could have been salvaged. His shoes swishing on the overgrown grass, Iruka stepped past the barrier of cars, moving towards the largest tent. "I'm curious, were the quarantine zones efficient?" He called out, glanced over to Kakashi. "I never saw one that actually was up and running."

Kakashi was ahead of him, rummaging through the police cars. Clubbing the window open with a rock he picked up, he opened the door to another vehicle and slipped inside. "Ah, depends. If you were dealing with smaller numbers, then yes. Anything more than a few hundred and its utter chaos." Seemingly finding nothing valuable, the man continued his search by jumping into an open ambulance.

"I'm going to take a look around and see if there's anything we can use." Iruka announced, taking Kakashi's grunt as affirmation as he slid into the tent he had been eying. Yellow hazmat suits were strewn around, each in various states of destruction. The key point to a hazmat suit was to protect the wearer from whatever he or she was dealing with; the broken masks and ruptured oxygen tanks gave a pretty clear picture to what happened.

Ignoring the mess, Iruka strode to the right, over to the small cots that were enclosed in plastic drapes. The small beds were surrounded by a wall of the clear material, with zippers creating the doorway. Machines rigged to record vitals were rusted down and wrecked, the screens broken and shattered. Some were still on the stands while others were knocked to the ground. It was evident there had been a big fight.

Iruka nudged a few of the machines around. His eyes landing on a small box with a red cross painted on top, Iruka eagerly snatched it up. It didn't look like it had been opened, and had been fairly well hidden. Cracking it open, the brunette was rewarded with a bottle of antiseptic, a roll of bandages, and few rags. Tucked into a secure pocket were small containers labeled with chemicals he didn't know. "Not bad." Iruka grinned, happy for the find. Medical supplies were always in need, and while he knew Kakashi had a huge reserve Iruka felt inclined not to rely on him too much. He didn't want to seem like dead weight.

Resuming his search of the tent, he discovered a folder stuffed papers, stamped with a red PRIVATE PERSONNEL warning lying near makeshift desk. Curiously, he flipped it open, spreading its contents out on the closest cot. The papers turned out to be maps with locations of other quarantine zones, each labeled with a number of Infected patients and staff. Iruka paused, staring hard at the map. His eyes fell on a red square that indicated the nearest camp, one in the next city.

His ingrained instinct was to pack up and go see the other zones, try to find more survivors. But that would mean leaving Kakashi behind. His heart did a flip in his chest, accompanied by a strange heaviness in his stomach. This is what he always did; he'd find a place to stay for a while, and then move on. He'd sometimes meet some people who would kindly give him a hand with supplies, which he'd make up for with information or teaching any children he'd find. Education was a blessing in their times, one Iruka took every opportunity to spread. Elders would often sit in on his lessons, adding what they knew or exchanging their own knowledge.

The map creased as his grip tightened. Staying here with Kakashi would mean no longer traveling. Admitting it to himself, he wasn't completely against that idea. Here, he was comfortable, knew where to find food, had companionship, had home. Out there, it was a struggle every day to keep going.

It was a struggle, but one he willingly chose. He knew staying with the people who offered him a place would be a horrible idea. Every time he had tried, the Infected would attack and nearly everyone would have been killed. He had tried and tried. He'd seen the aftermath of families one too many times; the pain wasn't worth it. Staying with Kakashi would more than likely end in pain, in deep, bloody pain. He didn't want to suffer that, and he didn't want Kakashi to suffer because of him. Leaving was the safest option for the both of them.

It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Iruka frowned, feeling unsure. Half of him wanted to leave, the other half wanted to stay. Why couldn't he decide?

"Did you find anything?"

Startled, Iruka fought the immediate urge to hide the maps. If he tried hiding them, Kakashi would know. Instead, he whirled around and pulled out the med-kit he had found. "Just this." He forced a smile as he presented the kit.

Kakashi took the small box and nosed through the contents. He had most of these materials back home, but it was always good to find more. "I found some full ammo boxes and a few more things." He offered, showing the brunette his findings. Watching the shorter man comment on his discoveries, Kakashi's mismatched eyes narrowed. The professor seemed unusually interested, to the point that it seemed fake. Wanting to ask what happened, Kakashi held his tongue. The silver-haired man knew Iruka wouldn't tell him, as he was trying hard to seem normal. It didn't matter. It stung to know Iruka was hiding something from him, but Kakashi was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Iruka had done him no wrong yet, so he didn't have a reason to suspect him. Not like the others.

"Are you hungry? We could take a small break for lunch."

Iruka nodded, relieved. While he wasn't outright lying to Kakashi, he still hated hiding things from him. It felt dirty and wrong, considering how gracious Kakashi had been lately. "I'll look around a bit more, to see if I find anything else that's useful."

Kakashi nodded, backing up. "Meet me by the overpass and we'll eat." He turned and disappeared, leaving Iruka alone in the tent.

Exhaling sharply, Iruka turned back to the cot and grabbed the maps, tucking them into this pack. Still unsure about what to do, he decided to keep the maps just in case. He didn't have to make up his mind right this second. True to his word he searched the tent thoroughly but found no more goodies. He then left, trekking over to join Kakashi.

**xXx**

"If none of this had happened, what did you expect you'd be doing right now?" Kakashi asked, crossing his legs as he leaned against the wall of the overpass. Digging through the pack next to him, he brought out some food and water.

Nibbling on a dry piece of meat as he sat across from the taller man, Iruka paused. "Hmm, I don't really know. I'd probably still be teaching."

Kakashi slipped tidbits of food up his the medical mask he had donned, swallowing before speaking again. "No family?" He asked carefully, fidgeting with the items in his hands to downplay his interest. He had realized earlier that he had no idea if Iruka was up for starting a family. If the brunette wanted one, Kakashi wasn't about to keep him from that. While he might have been trying his damnedest to seduce the professor, despite everything that had happened to impede that, he wouldn't keep Iruka from something like that.

Iruka shook his head. "I love children, but I can only deal with them for so long. I prefer to teach young minds, not create them." He smiled. "Starting a family has never been something I really wanted, so I don't see myself as settling down."

"So then a bachelor." Kakashi mused, admittedly relieved that Iruka shared his mindset about children. One step closer.

"What about you? No instinctual urge to create offspring?" The professor grinned, amused at the arch Kakashi's eyebrows took.

"I can positively say I have neither urge nor need to breed." Kakashi snorted, looking down. "I'm not the parental type."

"What would you have been doing then?" Iruka inquired, genuinely curious. He hadn't really expected Kakashi to harbor the idea of making a family, but what had the man thought about his future? His lips twitched as an image of Kakashi in a striking three-piece suit popped into his mind. A nice dark outfit that would play off his silver hair and height, molded smoothly to his body.  _He'd look incredible_ , Iruka's mind rambled, taking the idea and running with it.

"No idea. I doubt I would have stuck with the Army for long." The silver-haired man sighed, carting a hand through his tangled locks before gazing off into the distance. "I'd probably get some small time jobs here and there, making enough to save up and start my own adult club. Once that took off, I'd invest in the best porn books I know, and live out a long, fruitful, and pleasurable life."

Iruka nearly choked, managing to swallow gracefully as he stared at Kakashi with wide eyes. "You're serious." He asked, his tone incredulous. His eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his forehead.

"Completely." Kakashi grinned wolfishly, watching the way Iruka's cheeks darkened in embarrassment. He wondered if the teacher would be shy in bed, or be a secret wild vixen. Both fantasies had their pros, and Kakashi wasn't picky. "That's where the real money is."

Speechless, Iruka snorted, shaking his head again.

"Take a look if you don't believe me. I only read the best, and this so happens to be my favorite copy." Pulling out an orange book, Kakashi tossed it to Iruka who caught in on reflex.

Humoring the man, Iruka set his lunch aside and flipped to a random page. The well-worn spine led him to one he presumed was a favorite.

Lips twitching with the need to laugh, Kakashi watched as Iruka's eyes grew bigger and his face began to resemble a tomato as he read. Unable to resist, Kakashi let out few chuckles when the teacher would read a few lines, look away, glance back at the book and repeat. Even his ears had darkened, turning a pretty red.

Closing the book with a sharp snap, Iruka nearly threw it as he handed it back. "How in the hell can you read this so casually?" He exclaimed, still blushing. Never in all his years of reading, had he come across something so dirty, sexual, and perverse. He had been right; Kakashi was one hell of a pervert. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed it before.

"Years of practice." Kakashi drawled, gazing at the page he knew Iruka had read. "I love the use of the chain. Very creative."

Iruka ruefully hid his face behind his hand. "Whoever wrote that is one deprived individual."

"What does that say about those who enjoy it then?" Kakashi teased, pocketing the book. "Deprived as well?" He could see the cogs working in Iruka's head as he thought. He wasn't being subtle.

"I'm not touching that." Iruka declared, picking up his lunch as his stomach flipped again. Things were turning in a direction that made him nervous. "I'm a psychologist, not a therapist."

"But if I needed help you'd be the most qualified, as you said, you're the one with the PhD." Kakashi persisted.

"You seem fine to me." Iruka rolled his eyes, slightly enjoying the light banter. He picked his meal back up.

"Which reminds me, I have something for you." Kakashi announced, a pale hand descending into his backpack once more.

Iruka blinked a few times in surprise. "For me? Why?"

"Just because I felt like it." Kakashi replied airily.

"It's not one of those books is it? Because if it is, I can tell you right now it's better off in your hands than mine." Iruka warned, interested to see what the gift was.

"Nah, nothing like that. Close your eyes." Kakashi ordered, turning to the professor with his eyes crinkled in a smile.

Iruka's narrowed in return. "At least you asked this time." He grumbled, complying. He was somewhat surprised at how easily he had come to trust Kakashi, not even second guessing the act. He stuck out his hand, expecting whatever it was to be placed in it. What he didn't expect was a strong, calloused hand to gently wrap around his wrist and tug his hand down. The thumb gently rubbed over his pulse. Was Kakashi's hand always this warm?

"Now open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

_What_. Iruka's eyes shot open, his face full of indignation. "Why on earth would I do that?" He questioned, tugging his wrist back. Kakashi let him go easily.

"Ah, ah, I can't show you until you do it." Came the jovial reply.

Iruka stared at the older man, his face impassive. He could almost see the smirk on Kakashi's face growing the longer he stared. As the head of silver hair tilted, Iruka twitched. Grudgingly trusting him, Iruka closed his eyes again, bowing his head marginally. Opening his mouth slowly, he stuck his tongue out slightly, not willing to go the full way.

Hearing the swish of Kakashi's clothes rubbing against each other as he moved, Iruka fought the urge to clamp his mouth shut and back away. Oh god, what was Kakashi about to do? In a fraction of a second, his mind raced, coming up with a myriad of reasons. One thought that resonated hit him unexpectedly, causing his heart to pick up a speed similar to when he fought a Clicker. Would Kakashi take advantage of the situation and kiss him? Would he feel the brush of Kakashi's tongue against his?

Nearly trembling, Iruka felt saliva pool in his mouth at the sudden thought. Helpless to his imagination, Iruka imagined what it would be like to kiss the older man. Surely Kakashi would have a devilish tongue, a passion matching his personality and skills beyond Iruka's imagination. He could feel the brush of the lips he had never seen, rough and chapped but perfect. His cheeks burned as blood infused them once more, practically giving away what he was thinking of. The urge to lick his lips reared up.

With nothing happening, Iruka was dying of anticipation. Startled at his own thoughts, the professor wondered how he could go from wanting to leave the man, to wanting to be kissed by him. Maybe being alone for too long had done something to him. His breathing beginning to hitch, Iruka caught the whiff of a familiar scent floating around. He recognized it as how the clothes Kakashi gave him smelled; it was Kakashi's scent. Just how close was the man?! Iruka caught himself before he leaned into the smell, wanting to inhale deeply. He wanted to open his eyes badly but pure will kept them shut. The beat of his heart pounded in his ears, beginning to sound thunderous the longer he waited.

The slight pressure of something dropping onto his tongue snapped him back to reality. Drawing the wet muscle back and closing his mouth, Iruka nearly gasped.

"Is that chocolate?" He exclaimed, his eyes meeting Kakashi's pleased expression. The overpowering sweet flavor invaded his mouth.

"Found some and figured you'd want a taste." Kakashi hummed, his tone smug.

"I'm allergic to chocolate!"

Well fuck. Nearly dropping the candy bar he found, Kakashi froze. "What?" Did he have anything for allergies?! How long would it take to get back before something bad happened? Was he deathly allergic or slightly? Before he could ask a single question, Kakashi took in the amused look in Iruka's eyes. He had the tell-tale signs of trying not to laugh. Ceding that he had been tricked, Kakashi tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"Very funny." He said sullenly, breaking the treat and giving the professor a larger piece than the one he had stuck on his tongue. It had taken considerable restraint not to sink his hands into Iruka's hair and ravage him until his lips were swollen and red. God knew the image he made with his mouth open and eyes closed. It was a helluva invitation to resist, but Kakashi prided himself on his will.

Iruka snickered, shaking his head. "Hey, I could have been." He teased, trying not to dwell on the fact that he felt sorely disappointed Kakashi hadn't kissed him. What the hell was wrong with him? Ignoring the strange feeling fluttering in his chest, he bit into the chocolate, savoring the amazing flavor. It was almost too sweet, a stark contrast to the saltiness of the meat.

A silence fell between them as they continued to eat, a warm atmosphere settling around them. It was comfortable, and the discovery of the maps nearly left Iruka's head as he relaxed in Kakashi's presence. Curiously, he watched the older man from the corner of his eyes, not wanting Kakashi to catch him watching him. Though, why he needed to hide it wasn't clear to himself.

"Does that not bother you when you eat?"

Turning to his new favorite sound in the world, Kakashi arched a brow at the professor. Touching his mask, he shook his head. "No, not really."

Inquisitive, Iruka nearly held his tongue, but he figured it was worth a shot to ask. If anything, Kakashi should reply considering he was required to answer any questions Kakashi had for him. "Why do you wear one, may I ask?" Iruka questioned, not wanting to seem nosy.

Kakashi looked lost for a moment before his steely gray eye seemed to darken. The red one closed as a hand came up to rub it. He didn't mind telling the younger man, but he memories associated with it weren't exactly pleasant. But if he wanted Iruka to trust him, he'd be willing to open up.

"When I first left the military after the disastrous containment mission, I didn't leave alone." Kakashi began, drawing out materials to build a small fire. The wind had dropped temperature fast, and he knew they weren't going to be moving for a while so it was wise to start one now.

Iruka moved to help, collecting dry grass and other burnable materials lying around. He didn't leave their small space, wanting to hear the story.

"I had several people with me whom I considered good friends. No, they're not buried at the cemetery." He added, spying the question on Iruka's face. "That comes later. We were all pretty young, still thinking we were the top shit and all. After the mission failed, a few of the other squad members and I left to tried to make it out on our own. I considered them my friends, as I trusted them with my life. We had trained together, fought together, and graduated together."

Iruka hummed as he listened, adding a few other encouragers to keep the conversation going. He managed to get a small fire going and sat down beside Kakashi. He knew sitting across from him would make it feel more like an interrogation rather than a reveal, so he opted to side with him. Kakashi shifted a bit towards him, inching closer.

"It didn't take long for things to fall apart. We were fighting over who was in charge, where we would stay, who we could trust. It was worse every day, escalating to the point I'd have to break up fights, threatening to fight them myself. Things became worse when we stumbled across a ragtag group of survivors, a lot of whom were even younger than us." Kakashi blew out a heavy breath, scrubbing his hair.

Silently, Iruka waited in rapt attention. He had always known Kakashi had a much darker past then him, as evident by what the man had already revealed, but this was new and exciting. It was like getting another puzzle piece to the intricate design that was the man Kakashi Hatake.

"We offered them protection in exchange for supplies. They readily agreed, seemingly happy to have found us. We spent a few days with them, trying to figure out what to do, where to go. They had come in from a few states away, traveling mostly by foot and sometimes by car. They told us what we already knew; things had gotten out of hand and no help was available. We were all on our own."

Chucking a small pebble into the fire, Kakashi watched the small burst of embers fly into the air. "It was one morning that I had come back to camp after a scouting mission that I found out they had killed all my group members."

Iruka inhaled sharply.  _Oh no…._

"I found Obito with his throat cut, left out on the ground to bleed to death. I found Minato next, as they were finishing up with him. Gutted, like a fish." Shifting, Kakashi leaned back on the wall of the bridge. He forced himself to stay in the moment, not willing to get lost in the painful memory. Iruka presence near him helped keep him grounded. "Next thing I know they're shooting at me and so I fire back. One managed to sneak up on me as I tried to defend myself," Kakashi pointed to his scar. "Nearly blinded me, but I got lucky. After managing to kill a few of them, I ran away."

The Psychology teacher looked into the distance, a heavy feeling in his heart. Kakashi had been through so much….. It was incredible he was a sane and as healthy as he was now. Glancing down, he toed some dirt into a pile with his boot. He couldn't help but wonder what would have been going through Kakashi's head, what he would have felt, thought….

"Then a few months later I ran into them again."

Iruka's head snapped up. "You met them again?" He asked, aghast. Worry fluttered in his chest, but it was useless since Kakashi was perfectly okay next to him.

"Not only that, but one of my team members was with them. I found out that she had been alive when I ran away, leaving her with them. I had abandoned Rin." Kakashi confessed, his tone darkening. "When I saw her with them, I couldn't let her know I had left her. I saw what they had done to her and it sickened me that I had been the cause of that. Maybe not directly, but I was a factor. I hid my face, pretending I didn't know them. It was like déjà vu; they were nice to a sickening point, and when the time came, they tried to kill me again."

"And then what happened?" Iruka whispered, fearing the worst. The more Kakashi revealed, the paler he got. Stress lines creased his forehead and his mismatched eyes grew heavy with sorrow and pain.

"I killed them. All of them, even her." Kakashi fidgeted, adjusting the mask. "Rin never figured out who I was, but she still attacked me and I had to kill her." Never had the words 'I'm sorry' felt so empty on his lips then when they fell on deaf ears.

Iruka swallowed his immediate reaction to apologize, knowing Kakashi wouldn't appreciate it. Not knowing what to say or feel he moved closer to Kakashi, using his body for comfort. Their shoulders rubbing, Iruka broached the topic slowly.

"Are you…I mean, do you think she would have tried to kill you if she had known who you were?" He asked softly, picking up a stick to poke at the fire. "Do you feel she blamed you?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I suppose she would have, since I left her at their mercy." Kakashi supplied tonelessly.

"You weren't at fault. You had no idea she was still alive." The shorter man argued gently. "I know you, and I know you would have tried your damnedest to save her had you known she hadn't been killed." Using a more clipped, analytical voice he unconsciously adopted, Iruka looked up at the ex-militant before gazing back at the fire. "You came back and immediately saw all you friends…had been murdered. It's practical to immediately think everyone was gone, so you have nothing to be sorry about. If you had stayed there any longer, chances are you'd be dead or you'd end up like one of them. Life forces us to make choices that we don't know are good or bad, and sometimes we'll never know. Uncertainty is all that's left."

The brunette started when a heavy mass suddenly rested on his shoulder. Spikey silver hair popped into his line of sight, blocking out the fire. Kakashi was resting his head on his shoulder. A shiver of awareness ran down Iruka's spine as a strong hand crept across his back and rested on his waist, pulling him in. "Kakashi?"

"There are times when I question if I am still human, mostly because of what I've done and seen." Kakashi responded, his tone quiet and full of emotions Iruka fought to place. "And then you go and remind me that I still am. Thanks." He admitted softly.

Iruka's heart took up a strange rhythm, thumping unevenly as he listened to Kakashi's admission. The arm on his waist tightened, drawing him even closer to Kakashi's body. Every part of his body that touched the other man felt incredibly hot and sensitive. "Ah, so you wear the mask to hide yourself?" Iruka prodded, his mind immediately thinking of the psychological implication so such an action. It made sense, considering Kakashi's past. To hide himself from the world, becoming a monstrous human in his own eyes. A sort of barrier, protection.

"Hm. Can't argue with the one with the PhD." Kakashi answered teasingly, lifting his head up. With his free hand, he reached up and tugged the mask off. "I guess I really don't have reason to keep wearing it." He tossed the mask into the fire, watching it shrivel up and burn away. It felt enlightening, like he had unburdened himself. He had never thought about why he kept wearing the mask, but for the first time, the taller man felt completely fine without it. In fact, he felt ecstatic. He turned to his companion, knowing full well Iruka had never seen him without it. "What do you think,  _sensei_?"

The scar that bisected Kakashi's eye nearly touched his mouth as it curved down his cheek. It stretched out further than Iruka had thought and looked insignificant against the Adonis-like beauty that was Kakashi's face. Now he could fully appreciate those strong, mismatched eyes and the silvery brows that helped express them. Kakashi's nose was a sharp and well defined. His lips were normal, slightly smaller than his own, and his cheekbones were gorgeous. A five o'clock shadow dusted his jaw, adding to his roguish look.

Blinking rapidly, Iruka had the feeling he had been staring for far too long as a teasing smirk adorned Kakashi's newly revealed features. The look was devilishly striking, causing strange stirrings in his body. Snapping his mouth shut, Iruka looked away as his face burned. "You look rather handsome." He bit out, hoping it didn't come out as breathless as he felt.

"Hm, I was going for something a little more….tasteful." Kakashi hummed, shifting closer to Iruka.

Confused, Iruka furrowed his brows. "What do you mea—"

The taste of something sweet and salty invaded his mouth as Kakashi leaned forward and kissed him, his tongue entering smoothly. Hungrily, the rough and chapped lips moved against his as a hand drifted into his hair, almost cradling his head.

His brain short-circuiting and his heart kicking up a strange gallop, Iruka froze. Not realizing he had closed his eyes, the shorter man pulled away quickly, jerking to his feet. The back of his hand pressing tightly to his tingling and burning lips, Iruka stared at Kakashi with wide eyes.

If there was an emotion Kakashi preferred someone to have when he kissed them, fear was not on his top ten. Neither was sadness nor pain. Standing up, Kakashi moved towards the professor, but stopped when the smaller man twitched, backing up a step.

"I….I can't. I'm sorry, I can't." Iruka whispered, shaking his head from side to side slowly.

"Why? Why can't you?" Kakashi questioned, his tone hard. He knew Iruka felt the same way,  _he knew_. So why was the teacher refusing?

Unable to speak, Iruka did the only thing on his mind. Whirling around, he took off, terrified of his own feelings and of Kakashi's. Emotions warring in his body, Iruka focused on the pounding of his feet, vainly trying to shove everything away. Sprinting past familiar buildings, Iruka kept running.

Loud footfalls behind alerted him to the fact that Kakashi was giving chase. In retrospect, it had been foolish to run. The older man was a hunter; he tracked down prey easily. "Iruka!"

Cornered when he entered an unfamiliar area, Iruka backed up as he turned to watch Kakashi storming his way to him. His eyes flitted from side to side, trying to find an exit, but his feet felt like they'd been encased in glue. Kakashi drew closer, his red and grey stare boring into Iruka's wide-eyed brown. By the sharp line of his shoulders, the smaller man could tell Kakashi was determined.

"Kakashi, please." Iruka pleaded, raising his hands up to his chest. They offered meek protection against Kakashi, as the man came towards him. Tan hands brushed a strong chest that rose and fell quickly.

"Tell me why you can't." Kakashi ordered, hating the pained look on Iruka's face. He didn't understand.

"I just…there isn't…." Iruka tried, his words failing him under Kakashi's intense gaze.

"Tell me why are you fighting this? I know how you feel about me. I've seen it in the way you look at me, how you act and react. You want this as much as I do, but why are you so against it?" Kakashi's tone softened as a defeated look came across Iruka's face.

The professor bowed his head, hiding his face behind the thick strands of hair that had been freed from his tie. Resting his forehead against Kakashi's chest, Iruka shook his head weakly.

"You don't understand. There is no point to this." Iruka whispered, his hands curling into fists as they grasped the fabric of Kakashi's shirt. "We can't…"

"Then make me understand. Let me in."

"Every time there is love, there is death. No matter who it is, it ends in blood, time and time again. I don't want to…. I can't be the one…."

It was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. Immediately, Kakashi understood why. Iruka had always told him he never stayed in one area for long. The teacher moved on before he could care about them. He had been fighting Kakashi to leave since he was frightened of getting emotionally invested, only to see him die. Iruka was afraid of the pain and sorrow of loving someone, going to great lengths to avoid it. He fought so hard to stay distant because he feared getting into a relationship would inevitably lead to one of them dead.

Rationally speaking, it made sense given the death toll of the world. Iruka didn't want to see him die, and he didn't want the reverse to be true either.

"You're afraid of this because you think that if we are together, either one of us is going to die? You don't want to experience that since you've seen it so much, so you fight it and leave before you can get attached."

Iruka made small noise that was muffled by his shirt.

A wry smile curved Kakashi's exposed lips. "We're going to die either way. We're not immortal; we could die this very minute. But it's worth it."

He wrapped Iruka into a tight hug, much like the one the professor had given him before. He rested his chin on Iruka's crown.

"You fear what I've experienced so much, and I can tell you it's worth it. That one person that can make living in this world not so bad. That one person that can make every day amazing despite what happens. In the end, it's truly worth it."

Iruka shifted in his arms. "You say that now, but what will you be saying when I'm choking on my own blood after a Clicker ripped my throat out and you can't save me? Or when I'm standing over your dead body because I was too late? Will it be worth it then, knowing we'll just be liabilities to each other?" He whispered, his tone desperate. "Knowing it's going to end in blood no matter what?"

"Then we'll just have to be very careful." Kakashi answered lightheartedly before sighing. "And yes, it's still worth it. It will be, no matter what."

The shorter man shook his head again, but the movement was fainter.

"All I'm asking for is a chance. Give me a chance to show you there is a silver lining to this. If you still feel that way after everything, I'll let you go." Kakashi maintained, his fingers twitching at the idea of Iruka leaving. "I'll give you everything you need to go."

Iruka felt his resolve wavering as Kakashi spoke. After a moment's hesitation, he gave a tentative head nod that caused a rush of excitement to flood the older man. "You're gonna regret this." He mumbled, his hands releasing Kakashi's shirt and slowly wrapping around the man's waist.

Kakashi smiled before he began to lead Iruka back home.

**xXx**

Iruka had been staring at the maps for God knows how long now. The lines of the buildings and streets whirled and mixed together into nonsensical designs that swayed as his eyes drifted across the surface.

His bottom lip cried out in pain as he chewed on it, biting open the small wound that had developed from his gnawing. Soothing the cut, he was reminded of Kakashi's kiss which sent his mind into chaos once again.

He had agreed to give the man a chance, but he was still frustratingly indecisive. A part of him still wanted to leave before things got even more serious between them. He recognized it as the small part of him that began to speak up whenever he'd encounter more people, reminding him that it was time to move out. It was deep-rooted in him, and so it wouldn't be going anywhere soon. He also wanted to stay with Kakashi, as he was enjoying the simplicities of life once again.

Living nomadic way of life was no easy feat; he braved through icy storms in shacks that could barely be called shelter, blistering heats with no signs of water or rain for weeks. He had gone hungry many times, losing drastic amounts of weight and suffered from the effects of drinking water contaminated with bacteria that turned intestines into a water slide. The many wild animals that took over were not human friendly either, as he learned the hard way. With Kakashi, he had everything he needed. His life had changed from a constant struggle to one of almost luxury.

The man had even offered him an ideal area to plant a new garden, one within the safety of his home.

Maybe it was finally time to start a new chapter in his life, one that wasn't as dangerous and was actually satisfying. It would be a while before he'd been completely comfortable staying here permanently, but something told him he'd get over it fairly quickly. Especially with Kakashi next to him.

Suddenly, the maps didn't seem that important. They were important for the old Iruka, but not now, not anymore. It was time to change, to begin again. Feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, the professor grinned widely. He'd give Kakashi the chance, and meet him halfway there. Releasing what was holding him back was liberating; it was an opportunity to start anew, create a new story.

Would there be a horrible ending? More than likely, but as long as he and Kakashi breathed, it would be worth it.

Warm brown eyes looked into the fire that warmed the living room, his fingers neatly folding the maps into a tight square. Upstairs, he heard Kakashi making his way down the creaky stairs towards him. With a quick flip of his wrists, he tossed the papers into the fire, feeling nothing but elation as they burned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last one....


	11. New Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we’ve reached the end. Extra long chapter since one of you asked for it.

Thick warm boots crunched through the dense snow, sinking in with each careful step before being lifted and brought down again. A trail of fresh footsteps followed the boots, disappearing slowly as more snow drifted in to fill in the depressions. The quiet winter morning was peppered with gentle snowfall, bathing the empty world in white.

Rubbing his scar with stiff, frozen fingers, Iruka sniffled, shivering in his oversized coat that smelt of dogs and Kakashi. He secretly cherished the smell that permeated from the clothing, but would never tell Kakashi. The man would never let him wear his own clothes again. After securing his own wardrobe to replace what he had lost, he wasn’t too keen on letting all that effort go to waste.

Iruka held a chipped coffee mug in each hand as he continued his trek, needing the warmth of the freshly boiled tea to thaw his fingers evenly. Soon enough, his digits tingled with the pinpricks of returning sensations. He should invest time into finding a suitable pair of gloves. Raikiri barked beside him, almost trotting through the white mush like a horse, undeterred by the cold in the slightest. The fully grown German Shepard occasionally turned back to look at his human, prancing forward a few feet before stopping and waiting, unwilling to let Iruka fall behind. Gaining enough distance ahead once Iruka was close, he’d paw at the ground and sniff around.

This was to be their first winter together. A strange thought, seeing as he’d normally have left by now, searching for a habitable area he could brace the season with. The sense of being grounded was pleasant, becoming familiar and comfortable the more time was spent with the silver-haired man. Even the Infected seemed to take a different place in his thoughts, no longer at the forefront. His safety was tied with Kakashi’s; a reassuring and frightening thought he was growing accustomed to. The coming season seemed like a new adventure for them, creating new experiences not easily forgotten. Rather than shying away from the experience, Iruka found himself looking forward to it, eager to see Kakashi’s routine and to become a part of it.

As familiar as he had become with the city, it was still difficult to navigate, even more so when everything he usually used as a land marker was covered in white. Vaguely remembering the path, he let Raikiri lead the way, trailing after the hyper canine carefully so as not to spill the precious drinks.

The broken down house Kakashi was using as a temporary base slowly came into view, the dark siding standing stark against the white fluff coming down. The two-story dwelling had been reduced to one when the ceiling collapsed in, exposing the top floor. Kakashi had then cleared debris and trash away, using the area as a lookout due to its incredible view. It was a ways away from their home, but was a good vantage point to plot out new paths into the city and surrounding areas. It was towards the less crowded areas of the city, petering out into the suburbs.

Raikiri scrambled off once they were close enough to the house, bolting inside to join his brothers and the new litter of pups that had been a pleasant surprise. A round of yips, barks, and howls rang out, bringing a smile to Iruka’s face. Stopping on the rickety wooden porch to stomp the snow off his shoes, he called out to the older man. “Kakashi, I’m back!” Swiftly he walked inside, minding his feet due to the little ones scampering around, heading towards the stairs. With an arched eyebrow, he stared at the mess of broken wood and plaster where the stairway had been. “Kakashi….”

A mane of silver hair popped into view and Kakashi’s roguish grin greeted him over the edge of the ceiling. “Had a bit of an accident.” He explained breezily. “Water damage and termites, so I’m building a new set once spring hits.”

“Shouldn’t that mean the rest of the house is also in danger?” Iruka pondered aloud, reaching up and handing the mugs to his partner. How much did Kakashi know about carpentry? Their resources to learn had been vastly depleted since the library had been burnt down, but he knew Kakashi had stolen a few good picks and stashed them at his home. Maybe a book on woodworking had been taken as well. “You know, with this being wood and all?”

Kakashi grabbed the coffee cups and placed them off to the side before returning to the brunette. “Nah, I checked the rest, just in case. The damage was contained to only the stairs and a bit of the kitchen. Nothing major.” He dropped an arm down, grunting when Iruka latched onto it and wrapped his hand around Kakashi’s thicker forearm. Kakashi copied the grip and hauled Iruka up while bracing himself on the floor.

Once he was close enough to the upper floor, Iruka grabbed the ragged edge and helped hoist himself up. The brunette grinned as Kakashi pulled him close and planted a quick kiss on the side of his neck before vanishing back to his post. Used to Kakashi’s random and seemingly endless moments of intimacy, Iruka stood up and brushed his pants off, picking up the mugs. He fought to ignore the small voice that sang in the back of his head, pleased with the show of affection. It was growing louder each day, and Iruka was finding it harder and harder to disregard. The professor walked down the short hallway and entered the main area.

Towards the worst of the damage to the ceiling Kakashi had nailed tarp down to block off more damage from the rain and snow. He knocked out most of the front wall, creating a sort of deck where he set up a large blue camping tent. Along the tent were a few coolers stacked with canned goods that were a few years past expiration date and more slices of dried meat. They had only brought over a few supplies since the base was made to be temporary.

Iruka plopped down in one of the chairs set near the open wall and handed Kakashi one of the mugs.

Accepting the chipped coffee cup curiously, Kakashi took a deep whiff of the steamy liquid, swirling it around. “What is it? I though the instant coffee was long gone.”

“I found some ancient tea bags and took a chance.” Iruka blew on the surface of the tea, watching the liquid ripple before taking a small sip, grimacing at the burn. “Early Grey, or what Earl Grey once was. I can’t really remember.”

Kakashi followed suit and took a drink. “Hmm, not bad. Could use some sugar, but it’s alright.” Gratefully cradling the cup in his frozen hands, Kakashi sat in the chair next to Iruka, propping his feet up on some logs he brought up. The back of the room housed a large stone hearth, fortunately undamaged. He hadn’t bothered to start a fire yet since he had gotten warmed up demolishing the stairway, but now that the warmth had abated, the chill was seeping into his body.

Iruka sat silently, watching the darkening clouds spill more snow onto the vine-covered skyscrapers and smaller buildings that still stood. The silence between them was peaceful, not needed to be filled by meaningless chatter. Often, he’d find the quiet moments shared between them spoke more than their conversations. He took another gulp of his now cooled tea, grateful that the wind was blowing perpendicular to them, not allowing snow to slip inside. “You know, this is the first time I haven't had to panic about it being winter?” He spoke quietly, not wanting to break the serene atmosphere. “It’s a relief.”

The older man eyed his younger companion, remembering that Iruka mentioned the hard nomadic life he’d had. Mentioned being the key word, since Iruka never divulged any details other than what he’d offered, and Kakashi wasn’t too keen on prying. Secrets were kept for good reasons, but when they were prompted to answer…. “What did you do before?” he inquired, downing the rest of the tea. He wanted more, but it was getting too dark to go for some.

“In the rare occasion that I’d find a small settlement with more people, we’d manage to brave the wintery days by sticking together and sometimes staying in empty houses. It’d spark some resentment between the people because I was an outsider, but I did my best to prove my worth when I could. In the event that I found no such settlement, I’d stick to dry places where I wouldn’t be drowned by snow. Sometimes that’d just be a tree, other times it would be some tool shack or a broken down car. I couldn’t be picky.”

Kakashi’s exposed lips pressed into a hard line, needlessly angry at the suffering Iruka must have endured. “I’m surprised you’re still alive, if that was your game plan.”

Iruka snorted, setting his mug down and clasping his hands. He followed a wayward snowflake, watching it dance as it fell. “I learned to deal over the years, but it was a struggle the first few.”

Kakashi furrowed his brows, remembering his own first winters after the outbreak. Due to army training, he had learned the basics of survival and hadn’t struggled as much. It helped that he had stuck around with his teammates, so he hadn’t been alone. “I can imagine.”

“A few times I got close to losing a few fingers.” Iruka held his hand up, wiggling the digits. “Gloves weren’t available.”

The taller man brought up his left foot. “Nearly lost my big toe once during a fishing incident. Frostbite is a bitch.”

“I got a nasty infection once when I sliced open my hip with a rusty barbwire fence. Hence the scar you were so curious about.”

“I broke my wrist while punching a Clicker in the face.”

“While looking for a place to wait out a storm, I ran into a bear.”

“No fair, I can’t top that.”

Iruka smirked. “She had two cubs with her. Needless to say, it was one of the best and most terrifying moments of my life.”

“I get terrifying, but why best?” Kakashi inquired, not seeing the close encounter as anything but petrifying.

Iruka tilted his head up, looking thoughtful as he pursed his lips. “Up until that point, all I had seen was death, death, and more death. From elderly people succumbing to the Infected, to small children being torn to shreds, it was an endless cycle of endings. Faced with death itself, I looked at her cubs, and was immediately awestruck. Despite it seeming like the end of the world to humans, other creatures flourished. There was still life to begin, something I hadn’t even thought was possible anymore. Wrapped up in the dead and dying, I had forgotten that we aren’t the only ones trying to make it. The little cubs were watching me as I stared at them, curiosity and awareness in their eyes.”

Kakashi shifted in his seat, a small smile curling his lips. He knew exactly what Iruka was referring to. He had experienced something similar when he’d come across a small litter of abandoned puppies. He had been surprised to see something so tender and fragile still in existence, and had taken it upon himself to care for them. He’d give them a fighting chance to make it in the new world. Those yowling puppies had grown up to be his family.

“I don’t remember how long I stood there, but it was enough time that I watched the cubs lose interest in me and begin playing around. It wasn’t until they rolled close to me that the mother growled and moved towards me. I hightailed it to safety once I could move again.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t chase after you if you were that close.”

“I got the sense she knew I wasn’t a threat and let me run off. Compared to the Infected that were everywhere, I was a flower petal in a garden of thorns. Or she knew she could kill me and just chose not to, take your pick.”

“Quite an experience.”

“Well, I became more aware of other dangers besides Infected, and gain a new appreciation for life. Quite an experience indeed,” Iruka hummed. “I’m curious, did you have any moments of clarity like that? When your thoughts were so obscured by other factors that you forgot something once precious?”

Looking off to the side, Kakashi scratched his head before rubbing a hand across his bristly cheeks. “Nothing really comes to mind. I’ve always been a bit of a realist, so my thoughts were always focused on things around me and whatnot. But your experience is different; you were thrust into a violent and tumultuous world. I lived in one, so I learned from a young age to fight for what I need. Joining the military just expedited the process for me.”

Iruka tilted his head in agreement, assessing Kakashi’s words. “Very true. We are, after all, shaped by our experiences, and genes by default.”

Noting how late it had gotten, Kakashi stood up from his chair and turned towards Iruka. “We should head to sleep. I’ll get the fire started, you get inside.”

Iruka nodded and followed Kakashi’s example, feeling a bit tired. He obediently crawled into the tent, kicking off his shoes and shedding his extra clothes. Kakashi was like a mini-space heater; most of the time Iruka ended up waking up in the middle of the night and having to shove the older man away to cool down. Decked out in fleece pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved shirt, Iruka nestled himself into the thick wool blankets neatly spread across the bottom of the tent. He pulled one over his body and watched Kakashi through the opening nail a temporary roll of tarp up over the large portion of missing wall. It was crude but effective.

Once finished, the taller man joined Iruka in the tent, setting down weapons and excess clothes near the entrance for easy access in case of an attack. Similarly to Iruka, he stripped down to his boxers and no shirt, knowing he’d be waking up to take it off. The warmth of the fire began to creep into the tent, creating a nice cozy space.

The shorter man drew back the covers, allowing Kakashi to slip inside. Immediately, the older man curled into him, drawing Iruka to his chest and pressing his nose into Iruka’s hair, depositing a swift kiss to Iruka’s crown.

Snugly packed with an arm wrapped around his waist like an anchor, Iruka settled in, appreciating the familiar contact. Nearly every night since Iruka had accepted Kakashi’s advances, Kakashi would align his body with Iruka’s, keeping the brunette in constant contact. It was strange and uncomfortable at first, but Iruka quickly grew to find it endearing and preferable.

The taller man’s steady breathing soon filled the small space, creating a rhythm Iruka found himself replicating. Usually, he’d be the first to fall asleep, but something was keeping him up. Not long after they had settled in, a familiar little voice popped up again, reminding Iruka how titillating Kakashi smelled and how intimate the embrace was.

The way Kakashi chest brushed his back with each breath, the way his strong legs were tangled between his own, the way his rough fingers lightly tickled his abdomen. Kakashi’s earthy smell enveloped him, adding to Iruka’s discomfort. With blood rushing to his face and nether regions, the professor fought hard to remain still, trying not bring attention to his state of mind. He wanted to take things slow with Kakashi, but at the same time, wanted to take the plunge. Kakashi had surprisingly resisted manipulating or coaxing Iruka into sex, something that Iruka greatly appreciated, but faced with his own bodily reactions, Iruka wished he had.  

The professor held his breath as he inadvertently focused on the heat of Kakashi’s body surrounding him, how they were seamlessly pressed together. He could feel the other’s heartbeat thumping strongly, a pleasant reminder that the man was healthy and still with him. The contours and flat planes of Kakashi’s pectorals felt thick through his thin shirt; Iruka wanted to touch, to run his hands all over that pale flesh. He wanted the hand around his waist to dip just a little bit lower, just a tiny bit and—

Kakashi’s arm tightened around his waist, startling Iruka out of his undeniably lecherous thoughts. “Mmm, What are you doing?” Kakashi’s breath ruffled his hair, the seductively drowsy tone ghosting into Iruka’s ear. The hairs on Iruka’s neck and arms rose, having nothing to do with the cold. “Why are you so tense?”

“I can’t sleep.” Iruka whispered back quickly, biting his bottom lip. “Did I wake you?” His own voice sounded weak, breathy. Was he really that easily affected by Kakashi? Even when the other wasn’t even aware?

Kakashi shifted, loosening his grip and rolling onto his back, giving Iruka room to breathe. “I wasn’t fully asleep,” he grunted, running a hand through his tangled hair and rubbing his eyes. “What’s keeping you up?”

Iruka tried to quietly clear his throat, shimming away to put more room between them. He felt overly warm and thrumming with some kind of energy that pulsed in his veins and skirted across his skin. “N-nothing. Just thinking,” he lied, hoping Kakashi wouldn’t push.

A scorching hot hand slid over his abdomen, scrunching up the fabric and brushing his bare skin with calloused fingertips. Iruka nearly flinched from the contact. Was Kakashi doing that on purpose?!

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Judging by Kakashi’s quiet tone, no, he wasn’t teasing him. Iruka swallowed heavily, his tongue coming out to moisten his dry lips. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just not that tired.” Focusing on the stitching of the tent, Iruka desperately began thinking of the tedious process of making a shelter.

Kakashi was silent. Iruka could feel Kakashi’s eyes staring at him, his gaze almost a physical sensation. Under his scrutiny, Iruka felt exposed. Could Kakashi hear how loud and fast his heart was beating and how uneven his breath was? His heartbeat thundered in ears, sounding louder each second. The tent was feeling awfully hot and was beginning to give Iruka a sense of claustrophobia. Maybe he needed to go out for a quick walk to cool down…

“You know, if you need to use the bathroom, you have to tell me.” Kakashi warned, his tone demanding Iruka to fess up. “I’ll go with you.”

“Kakashi,” Iruka began, nearly laughing out loud at the absurdity. Of all the things he expected Kakashi to ask, that wasn’t on his list. “I’m quite alright.”

Moving like a cat, Kakashi was hovering over Iruka in a second, his mismatched eyes meeting Iruka’s surprised brown ones. Iruka could tell Kakashi hadn’t been serious about his question. The older man looked curious and concerned, his eyes no longer muddled by sleep. The brown-haired man nearly shivered at Kakashi’s proximity and show of strength, easily holding himself over Iruka like it was nothing. The thick cords of muscles popped into view, giving Kakashi the air of a predator about to eat his prey. The urge to touch him returned a thousand-fold, forcing Iruka to make a fist to contain his probably treacherous fingers.

“It’s only me and you. I promise I won’t make fun of you,” Kakashi said gently, yanking Iruka’s attention back to his face. That darkening five ‘o clock shadow was a deadly tool. “Tell me what’s been keeping you up.”

Iruka’s answer was instantly on the tip of his tongue; deny everything and hopefully go to sleep. But what if he didn’t? What _truly_ was stopping him from reaching out and showing Kakashi just what was on his mind? Kakashi had said it himself, it was just the two of them. He couldn’t blame his reluctance on anything but his own inexperience and inherent shyness. Here Kakashi was, worried for him and the only thing Iruka wanted was to hide from him with flimsy excuses.

The silver-haired man hadn’t budged. Still above Iruka, his eyes focused on Iruka’s face, probably reading each emotion darting across his face easily. Iruka flushed as Kakashi arched a thin brow.

He had no reason to resist, it was easier not to. Letting himself sink into his desires, Iruka rose, pressing his lips tentatively against Kakashi’s as he closed his eyes.

Kakashi immediately reciprocated, moving his lips softly against Iruka’s. His kisses were sweet, gentle and hiding a hit of passion.

Spurred by Kakashi’s acceptance, Iruka sat up fully, keeping his mouth attached to Kakashi’s as reached up and wound his hands around Kakashi’s neck. Rough fingers carted through the unruly hair, tugging as the kiss went deeper.

Drawing back from the shorter man’s hold, Kakashi placed his hands on Iruka’s shoulders and pushed him down. Iruka’s arms let go of his neck and plopped down beside the man. “Iruka?” he asked cautiously.

Iruka's gaze flitted around, glancing at everything but Kakashi's eyes. A deep blush painted the younger’s face, highlighting the scar bisecting his cheeks and darkening his complexion.

“I….I’m…” Iruka started, his voice strangely rough and breathy. “That is to say, I um...” he tried again, shrinking into himself as Kakashi scrutinized him. He could see Kakashi still watching him from his peripherals. Embarrassment flooded through him, making him cringe and regret his sudden decision.

Recognition flickered in Kakashi’s head, clicking like a puzzle setting into place. _Oh_. With a Cheshire grin stretching his cheeks, Kakashi dove in for a brutal kiss, making sure to pour his intentions into the caress. Iruka was horny, and who was Kakashi to ignore that intimate call?

Ripping the sheets away from them, Kakashi anchored himself over Iruka, pressing the other down with his weight. His tongue slipped in and out from Iruka’s mouth, tasting and reveling in the flavor he had come to fully enjoy. His own hands slid into Iruka’s hair, tugging out the hair band and loosening the strands. He grabbed a handful and wrapped them around his fist, pulling back so Iruka’s head tilted to give him access to his neck. He dove in, beginning under Iruka’s jaw.

Driven by the surprised and guttural moans spilling from Iruka’s mouth, Kakashi licked and nibbled every inch of skin he could touch with his lips. Deft fingers yanked off Iruka’s shirt, immediately pressing the younger man back down to continue the feast. The tangy taste of sweat and something salty didn’t deter Kakashi from the need to taste man underneath him. He’d been waiting since the day he saw Iruka bathing; nothing was going to stop him.

The wet muscle dancing across his skin burned him. It created trails of sensitive and tingling flesh that sent shivers of pleasure to his crotch, making him feel _alive_. Completely startled by the intensity and _need_ Kakashi was displaying, Iruka felt any resistance wash away under his white-hot mouth and kisses. Those sharp teeth sinking into his skin to leave small bites were both a pleasure and pain, something Iruka couldn’t help but describe as primal and animalistic, each word amplified by the throbbing of his body.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Iruka gasped, arching up as Kakashi’s calloused hands skimmed over his stomach and chest, the rough skin deliciously rubbing his own. The sensitive buds of his nipples peaked at the intense treatment Kakashi rained upon them. Rolled and pinched gently, they beaded and darkened in color, attracting more of Kakashi’s attention.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited,” Kakashi growled, licking a path back to Iruka’s jawline, nibbling along the bone structure. “To taste, to touch, to feel you under me,” he continued, whispering the heated words into Iruka’s ear. “To have you all to myself.” Possessiveness laced his words.

Iruka’s cock was leaking and he couldn’t find it in himself to care. All this was new to him and it was completely overwhelming. The sinful words Kakashi spoke sent lightning bolts of desire down his spine, setting his skin ablaze with need and further hardening his cock. He wanted the man so badly, and he didn’t even know how. “Kakashi…” he groaned, reaching up to grab the man’s biceps and just hold on.

“Just let me show you,” the silver-haired man breathed. Nipping the cartilage, Kakashi let out a pleasured rumble at the strangled sounds Iruka made. Rendering the professor incoherent was quite a feat, one that stroked his ego. Satisfied with marking up most of Iruka’s neck, Kakashi detoured back to his chest, trailing his fingers along the small scars and nicks decorating Iruka’s tough body, enjoying the firmness he felt. Under his watchful eye, Iruka had gained back enough weight to be declared healthy. His toned body was a beauty to behold, soft and strong in all the right places.

His own cock begged to be free, but Kakashi ignored his own aching bodily needs. This was for Iruka; he wanted the smaller man to experience the most pleasurable night of his life, one to never be forgotten. He wanted to take things slow, even if Iruka didn’t want to. Lowering his lips to Iruka’s stomach, Kakashi peppered kisses along his navel and over his scars, caressing each mark with a swipe of his tongue and quick bite.

Iruka cried out and twisted under his lips, but Kakashi kept a firm grip on him, pressing his hips down. The throbbing of his dick was almost too much, becoming painful as Kakashi licked every inch of his stomach. It tickled, but the sensation was drowned out by the peaks of pleasure hidden under each caress. Iruka’s hands fisted the sheets, scrunching them as he refused to reach down and grab Kakashi’s head to kiss him again. He wanted to resist, but also wanted Kakashi to go all out, taking complete control. He knew very little about sex between men, and figured the pervert would be well-versed. It was easier to let Kakashi loose.

“Hurrying up would be nice,” he gritted out, tensing as Kakashi’s stomach brushed the tent of his pants. The hands planted on his hips kept him from rubbing against Kakashi for a little bit of relief. The asshole.

“It would be, but not tonight,” Kakashi practically crowed, humor and desire lacing his voice. “Those chains would be perfect right now.”

“Tch.” Iruka closed his eyes and turned away, forcibly repressing any thoughts of that horrid book. He didn’t need to add more gasoline to the fire burning in his gut. Kakashi’s kisses were electric, teasing and playful around the waistband of his pj’s. Gnawing his bottom lip, Iruka let out a deep moan as Kakashi palmed him through the pants, the heat of his hand passing both barriers of fabric covering his dick.

Kakashi slowly worked up a steady rhythm, his eyes on Iruka’s face as he pumped him. It was incredible to see the lewd and proper expressions on the brunette’s face, each emotion battling to take control. Iruka was slipping, and it only made Kakashi work harder. His mouth dry, Kakashi licked his lips the best he could, aching to taste the professor again. He twisted his fingers a bit over the head, putting a bit of pressure where Iruka’s frenulum would be. Iruka responded beautifully, his mouth open in shock and his body jerking with pleasure.

Kakashi deeply inhaled through his nose, vainly trying to gain control over him impulses and not fuck the smaller man into oblivion. He wanted to blow Iruka’s mind with pleasure, it was necessary to take things one at a time. The fragrant scent of Iruka’s arousal, mixed in with his natural musk invaded his sensitive nose, flaring his nostrils. His pupils dilated further, the grey and red iris’ darkening with want and desire.

Fuck it. They could go slow another day.

Iruka felt the cool air on his legs before he knew Kakashi had made his pants disappear. His brain foggy and noncompliant, he struggled to grasp the situation as he opened his eyes and looked around blurrily. The tan cock slapped against his stomach, springing back from its confinement and standing proud at attention.

“Kakashi, what?” Iruka mumbled, breathing heavily. He felt sticky with sweat, but could care less at the moment. Kakashi was ripping off his own clothes, exposing more and more of his pleasingly pale skin.

“I’m not waiting anymore, sorry,” Kakashi said unapologetically, giving himself a quick couple of jerks. He then paused and went over to his set of clothes, digging through them before sinking back onto Iruka. Grabbing the tan legs opening enticingly, Kakashi settled himself into the cradle they created, letting out a hiss at the deliciouscontact.

“That was fast.” Iruka chuckled breathlessly, shifting awkwardly as Kakashi repositioned himself. The teacher shivered as Kakashi’s silver pubic hair popped into view and slid along his skin as Kakashi leaned over to kiss him. The caress was languid, distracting. Iruka felt something strange slide between his asscheeks and brush his anus. It took him a second to realize it was Kakashi’s finger, applying something.

“What are you doing?” Iruka whispered, dragging his lips away from Kakashi’s and pecking the older man’s neck tendons with bites. The pause in pleasure allowed him to make coherent thoughts again.

“We need some lubricant; otherwise neither of us is going to get any fun out of this.”

“Lube….what are you using?” Iruka asked. He was genuinely curious.

“An old Vaseline bottle I keep around.”

“Just around?” Iruka took the chance and sank his teeth into Kakashi’s shoulder, biting hard enough to leave a mark. Something inside him was demanding he brand Kakashi as much as the other had done to him. Like a declaration, Iruka thought, trying to make sense of the intense urge. Licking the bite as an apology, Iruka left small bruises around it.

“It has its uses.” Kakashi shivered. His secretly masochistic side was roaring in approval of the bite, wanting Iruka to make more. Being alone for too long had seriously fucked him up. Rather than focusing on what other kinky shit he might be up for, Kakashi decided to move things along.

Iruka froze as Kakashi’s finger pressed inside him, wiggling past the muscles. He frowned and squirmed uncomfortably. It wasn’t exactly painful, but the sensation wasn’t pleasant either. It felt out of place.

Kakashi sensed Iruka’s discomfort and used his other hand to pump Iruka’s flagging cock. “Sorry. It’s necessary. Try to relax, focus on me.” He directed, adding more Vaseline. “The more tense you are, the harder this will be.”

“Right,” Iruka muttered, closing his eyes and scrunching his nose as another finger joined the first. The intrusion burned and hurt, now painful. He wanted to tell Kakashi to pull it out, but he fought to suffer it. “How much longer?” He appreciated the hand on his dick, trying to focus on the pleasure, but the pain overrode it.

A smile curved Kakashi’s lips. “Just a bit longer. I’m not exactly two fingers thick.” He worked the ring of muscles slowly, stretching them by centimeters. He copied the rhythm with his other hand, hoping it was a good distraction.

“Hm. At this point I wish you were. Owww, _fuck_.”

“You won’t be saying that for long.” Kakashi pressed a gentle kiss to Iruka’s sweaty forehead, nosing his temple as he moved down to place a kiss on Iruka’s scar. “Trust me, the longer I do this the less you suffer.” Kakashi curled his fingers, looking for the small walnut shaped gland. He didn’t want to overstimulate Iruka just to get over the pain, but wanted to show the man the taste that was to come. Adding a third finger, Kakashi fought the cramp his fingers were getting.

“So three fingers?” Iruka grimaced as he felt the digits moving inside him, sliding in and out, rubbing his inner walls. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the hand pumping his cock. A drop of sweat rolled down his temple, sliding down to his chin.

“A bit thicker. So almost.”

“I think you’re lying.”

“I’m naturally gifted in girth, length, and not to mention skill. You’re not so bad yourself.” Kakashi gave him a teasing squeeze.

“Playing dirty,” Iruka accused, his voice trembling and raspy.

“All’s fair in our world.” Kakashi grinned, his fingers brushing Iruka’s prostate gently. Gleefully, he softly prodded it and stimulated Iruka’s slit at the same time, watching Iruka carefully to take in his reaction. “Like this.”

“Jesus, Kakashi!” Iruka cried out, jerking up like he’d been electrocuted, his back arching. A wave of intense pleasure shot through his body, washing out the pain for a few moments. His cock and ass were hot zones of desire, almost feverishly hot and pulsing with white-hot euphoria. Cum dribbled out of his cock, slicking Kakashi’s hand.

“Now we’re done.” Kakashi pushed Iruka back down, resettling them comfortably. Applying more Vaseline to his erection, he placed the head against Iruka’s entrance. “Deep breaths,” he warned.

Riding on the aftershocks of having his prostate stimulated for the first time, Iruka nodded loosely and followed orders eagerly. Bracing himself and inhaling deeply, he felt Kakashi push in. “Fuck, it’s worse,” Iruka cursed, pain overriding his earlier feelings. Kakashi hadn’t lied, he was thicker than three fingers, and bizarrely heavy inside him. 

It felt like it would never end; the unrelenting ache that felt like he was being split in two intensified with each second. When Kakashi’s hips finally stopped moving, Iruka blew out a sigh of relief. “I take it back, you weren’t kidding.” Kakashi’s cock was thick and hard inside of him. He radiated heat and gave the professor the strange sensation of being stuffed.

“I did warn you. This is when it starts to be fun.”

“Hm. Quite knowledgeable on this, aren’t you?” Iruka grinned, using anything to take his mind off the dick in his ass. Kakashi was messing with him, he might as well return the favor. He threw his arm over his eyes and felt the older man pause for a few seconds.

“Well… meeting you and your fine ass forced me to brush up on my skills. So yes, I know a lot.” The amusement oozed from his voice and Iruka inadvertently stuck out his tongue. He shivered when Kakashi spoke closer to his ear, the scruff of his five o’ clock shadow grazing his skin. “Don’t forget I have an array of literature to pull from, _professor_.”

“Ow,” Iruka replied intelligently, fighting the urge to moan at Kakashi’s insinuations. But thankfully, the pain was beginning to wane.

“Better or worse?” Kakashi incrementally pulled out, watching Iruka’s face carefully. At the same pace, he pushed back in, fighting every fiber of his being not to drive in like an animal. Iruka was like a vice around his dick, agonizingly pleasurable and painful. He almost didn’t want to move, purely enjoying the sensation of sinking his cock into Iruka’s willing body. Oh the things he was going to fucking _do_ …..

“S’getting better,” came a mumbled reply.

“I’m moving then.” Faster than his previous pace, Kakashi drew back and began to thrust shallowly, gritting his teeth. Goddammit, he hated waiting. The feeling of urgency filled him, prompting him to make Iruka come first. Fisting the sheets, he focused on trying different angles, rotating his hips and adjusting Iruka accordingly. He held his body weight with his arms, hovering over the teacher. He resisted the need to stop and taste.

“I think thi—” Iruka’s voice stuttered as his body stiffened. A tan arm was thrown off and wide brown orbs popped into view on a flushed face. Kakashi groaned in appreciation. Finally.

Kakashi released the sheets and grabbed Iruka’s hips, drawing him up in the air and tilting him to get a better angle. Nearly growling, he began to fuck Iruka in earnest, aiming for that sweet spot every single time.

Iruka writhed beneath him, unaccustomed to the intense simulation wreaking havoc on his body. Kakashi’s fingers were brutally digging into his hips. “Holy fuck, holy shit, Kakashi!” he cried out, arching his back and rolling his own hips in desperation. He reached up and grabbed onto Kakashi’s shoulders, nails digging into corded muscle.

“Ngh, _Iruka_ ,” the older man moaned out, sweat rolling down his temple as he rammed into the professor wildly, filling the tents with the sounds of skin against skin and grunts. He couldn’t stop, helplessly driving in and out of Iruka as the brunette’s cries spurred him on. It was worse than his fantasies; Iruka’s voice was pure sin, and Kakashi was nothing but a sailor captivated by the siren’s call. Pale hands lifted Iruka’s legs higher in the air, giving Kakashi more room for his hips and fuck if he didn’t reach even deeper. Iruka was sucking him in, clenching and refusing to let him go.

Iruka threw his head back and clumps of sweaty hair stuck to his forehead. Moaning unabashedly, the younger man tugged Kakashi down for a kiss. His brown eyes took in the flushed and sexy look Kakashi was giving him. The man’s mysterious eyes were dangerously sharp and clear, watching him predatorily,   hungrily. With what he hoped was a tempting smirk, Iruka slid his tongue past Kakashi’s lips, taking control. It was awkward with their positioning and Kakashi’s thrusting, but Iruka managed to map out a good portion of Kakashi’ mouth.

With a quiet pop Iruka drew back, breathing raggedly. The fire in his stomach was reaching a boiling point and he couldn’t fight it anymore. His entire body was shaking, trembling as the feeling built impossibly. “Kakashi, I’m almost—”

“Fuck, same,” Kakashi growled, renewing his pace more vigorously. He slid Iruka’s arms off and intertwined their fingers, using that grip to pin the tan hands down. Shifting up, he drove in over and over again until he came. Stiffening like he’d been shot, Kakashi froze over Iruka and snarled out his name as he pulsed inside the brunette, cumming harder than he fucking thought was possible.

Iruka was twitching around him, the muscles of his anus spasming and twitching as he came hotly onto their stomachs.

“Oh god, I can’t…” Iruka trailed off as his world exploded into white, taken over by the intense orgasm inundating every atom of his body. He was drowning in euphoria and was glad he couldn’t swim for once. Wordless cries spilled from his mouth as he came down, the pleasure coming in waves as Kakashi ground his hips, his cock still inside and pressing on his prostate. Having almost bowed backwards in the moment, Iruka relaxed and slumped back down. He drew in lungfuls air slowly, feeling boneless and blissful as Kakashi collapsed down on top of him.

A mop of sweaty gravity-defying silver hair dropped into the crook of his neck. Sharp teeth came out to bite and Iruka hummed.

“I told you it was fun,” Kakashi mumbled against his skin.

Unable to speak, Iruka exhaled sharply through his nose, amused. He closed his eyes, feeling wonderfully satiated and suddenly sleepy. “I stand corrected.” He breathed.

“Can you even stand?”

“Not even going to try. I can’t feel anything but the crazy amounts of hormones inundating my body.” Iruka purred.

After a few minutes of regaining strength and simply enjoying the afterglow, Kakashi shoved himself off the other man and slipped out of him, grimacing at the mess they made and the cool air on his limp cock. When had the fire gone out? A quick glance at Iruka told him he wouldn’t be moving for a while, so clean-up was his detail.

Retrieving a small cloth, Kakashi dampened it with some room temperature water and scrubbed off their stomachs. He reached between Iruka’s legs to wipe up the cum seeping out of the drowsy brunette, moving in long, slow strokes. Dipping into Iruka’s anus, Kakashi gently rubbed the muscles in a circular pattern, pausing when Iruka moaned and shifted, still half-asleep.

A strong feeling of male satisfaction and pride filled him as he realized he _had_ fucked the professor into oblivion. The sleeping oblivion, but an oblivion nonetheless. Absurdly pleased with himself, Kakashi smirked at the hickies and bites littering Iruka’s tan skin, tracing the markings slowly with his free hand. They were a clear sign that the professor was taken, and despite there being no one around to see, Kakashi wanted the world to know.

He flicked his wrist and tossed the rag out the tent. He then quickly settled in next to Iruka, molding their bodies together. The heady smell of sex and sweat invaded his nose as he kissed Iruka’s scarred nose, tracing the line he had caused. He was looking forward to getting used to that.

 

 

**xXx 1 year later xXx**

 

 

“And where is sight processed? Ocular lobe, right?”

“Occipital lobe.” Iruka corrected, adjusting his mask to be able to speak clearly, peering out he thick plastic shielding him. “It’s at the back of the brain, resting above the cerebellum. What do you see?”

Kakashi tilted his head, grabbing the Clicker’s fungal visage and twisting it around. He pried the split halves of the head apart, grunting with the effort. The thick fungal growth was as hard as bone, resisting any small attacks. An axe to the head had finally killed it, creating a huge crevice into its brain cavity. Weird green fluids had leaked out, but he could see.

“I see pink, orange, grey, more pink, red, bits of black, something that looks like cheese, and purple.” Kakashi grimaced, the disgusting mess making his stomach churn. Following Iruka’s instructions, the taller man exposed the innards of the Clicker’s infested brain, leaning so Iruka had a better view.

“The lobe seems to be completely taken over by fungus.” Iruka analyzed, picking up a nearby twig to poke at the brain. “There are thick fungal roots that probably grew specifically here first, taking away vision. Note the thicker fibers. Establishing a network, it grew from the back to the front, then bursting through the eye sockets and nasal cavity.” Fascinated, Iruka prodded the mass. “The brainstem is probably still intact, since that’s where our most primal needs come from. Stripped of higher cognitive abilities, it relies on innate instincts and primitive behaviors.”

Kakashi wiped his glove off in the snow, letting the body fall back down. “Then?” He shooed away one of the dogs, ushering him back to the pack. The dogs had been split into two teams; one half were traveling with them, the other on a perimeter check.

“To compensate for the lack of visual stimulation to keep the lobe functioning, Cordyceps, in all its parasitic glory, creates a new way of seeing, namely echolocation. This would allow it more control since the host body has to abide by the new rules.”

“You’re saying it’s almost sentient?”

Iruka nodded. “In a way. Any action it takes is to ensure its survival. By dumbing the host, it takes control and can use it like a machine.”

“That’s fucking creepy.” Kakashi glanced down at the dead clicker. He ripped up the axe buried in the Clicker’s chest and handed it back to the professor. “That’s really fucking creepy.”

“Considering we could speculate that Stalkers have a hive mind of sorts, it could get creepier. It could literally create a new you, complete with fungal upgrades.”

Kakashi cringed. “I think that’s enough for today. You get what you wanted?”

Iruka hooked the axe onto his backpack, clapping his gloved hands curtly. “Yes. It’s a pretty clear picture how it progresses and takes over a human brain. The obvious growth patterns and roots threaded through the brain tissue weren’t fully present in the Runner we opened up yesterday. Those Stalkers had them, but not to the extent this Clicker does. We can generalize and say it will be the same for any other Clicker, with the only difference being the length of time in that stage. Should that time be drastically longer, it’s beyond being a Clicker.”

“You sound so excited,” Kakashi chuckled, intrigued by the strange light in Iruka’s eyes. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen that sparkle, but it only came around when they had begun taking a look at the Infected from a biological angle. He could really see the young and impressionable professor Iruka had been, teaching his passion to similarly interested minds. It was clear Iruka loved to learn and teach, and Kakashi was hoping they’d get more opportunities for him to show off.

“I am,” Iruka shrugged. “If you look past the dangerous aspect of analyzing Infected, they’re quite interesting. It’d be fascinating to gauge their cognitive limits, testing them in a controlled environment and seeing what hasn’t been taken. We can only see the physical damage, so the mental damage would be a valuable insight.” Excitedly, he nudged the Clicker.

“I mean, wouldn’t you like to know how far they go before they’re no longer human? At what point does its humanity cease and animalism take its place? Does its human conscious ever leave, or does it stay trapped within a body out of its control? Would we even be able to find out?” He pulled off the mask, tucking it away. “And think of the epidemiology of the Infection. Which individuals were more susceptible? Do they have reproductive abilities besides using spores? What physical changes occur deep within the body once the person is Infected?”

Kakashi hummed noncommittally, using the toe of his boot to nudge off a few more chunks of the thick fungal plates extending from the Clicker’s cranium. He wasn’t interested in learning about the Infected more than he was interested in killing them off. Although he had often entertained the thought of a person’s mind trapped within an Infected body.

“See the damage to the cerebellum, or the little brain? That would lead them to have problems with coordination and balance. Fine movements would be nearly impossible.”

“That’s why they flail and jerk around.”

“Exactly. And notice the complete devastation of the frontal lobe, behind where the forehead would be. Damage there would explain the heightened aggression and dangerous behavior. I would go so far to say the medulla has also been affected, since the aggression grows with the stages.”

“You think they feel pain?” Kakashi questioned, his eyes trailing over the rotting sores and exposed wounds littering the male Clicker. He pulled off his own mask, grateful for the cool wind breezing past.

Iruka paused for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I don’t think so. The parietal lobe has also taken substantial loss, and that’s where information about the body is processed, so pain would be in that capacity. The Cordyceps infection probably cuts that off eventually; pain would interfere with the hold on the host.”

Seeing that the brunette was done analyzing the Clicker, Kakashi drew out a box of matches, striking one and dropping it onto the corpse. Following suit, Iruka squirted fuel onto the body. Damp from lying in the snow covered ground, the body took a while to catch.

“Are we heading over to the lake?” Iruka piped up conversationally, his mind still processing what he had observed. He had plans on possibly writing about the Cordyceps infection, drawing from his and Kakashi’s experiences. It’d be useful to have and would be a first-hand experience source for future reference. If humanity did pull through, it would be invaluable to have written sources from the time after the outbreak.

“I need to widen the perimeter around the garden and take the dogs out hunting. We can stop by the lake for a while,” Kakashi said as they began to walk away from the burning corpse. The dogs trotted along, flanking them. “Get some fish, wash the clothes…”

“It’s my turn to take the dogs; you get laundry duty,” the professor reminded his companion lightly.

“I’ll trade you. I’ll take the dogs and get the fish. You do laundry.”

“We traded last time, and you didn’t do your part. You sat on the bank and read that stupid book.”

“You didn’t say it was stupid the day before. If anything, you were grateful for it.”

Iruka didn’t bite. “We’re not trading.”

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It was worth a shot.”

The sudden piercing howl of the other pack ripped into the air, stopping the two males abruptly.

“I’ve never heard them do that….” Iruka said nervously, glancing around as the wolf-dogs with them switched into attack mode.

Kakashi didn’t respond. His eyes were narrowed and his expression harsh. “It’s—“

Loud bangs accompanied the howls, going off one after another. Their pack took off, running towards the others.

“The traps.” Iruka said quietly, his blood running cold in his veins.

**xXx**

The entire pack was in a circle, all of them snarling and growling, a mass of brown, black, and grey slinking around threateningly. Snow was beginning to come down hard, adding a strange whimsical feeling to the tension thrumming in the air.

Kakashi got there first, relief flooding his system as he realized that there hadn’t been a breach. There were no masses of Infected storming the city. He still took no chances, drawing out his weapon and assuming his role as leader. The wolf-dogs parted and Kakashi was reminded of the day he met Iruka. Things had gone in much the same way.

The taller man was startled when he saw what had riled the dogs and set off the traps. Two young boys were huddled in the middle of the circle, holding onto each other. That taller of the two was calmly staring at Kakashi, soothing the younger one.

“Kakashi, what is it?” Iruka called out, huffing as he jogged up. Kakashi had taken off like a bullet, purposefully leaving him behind. Cuffing him lightly, Iruka peeked past his shoulder and noticed the boys. “Oh.”

“State your business, then leave.” Kakashi ordered, his voice booming with authority and power. The silver-haired man had straightened his back, appearing dangerous and angry. He stepped closer, moving slightly to the side to block their view of Iruka. An ingrained need to keep Iruka safe flared up, surprising him.

“My name is Itachi Uchiha. This is my younger brother,” the taller boy began, his voice wavering slightly but meeting Kakashi’s harsh gaze head on. He discreetly slid to stand in front of his companion, shielding him. “We seek refuge.”

“You will find no shelter here.”

Itachi’s eyes shifted over to Iruka, sensing he was the more reasonable of the two. His long hair stiffly moved as he inclined his head. “Please. We ask only for food and a place to stay the night.”

 _He can’t be more than seventeen_ , Iruka though, the shock of seeing more people waning as he took in their situation. It was obvious Itachi had been taking care of the smaller one, who looked around thirteen. They both were covered in mud and other substances, and reeked of sewage. Their clothes were ragged and torn, patched up by an inexperienced hand and worn down by time.

Stepping over to the newcomers, Iruka ignored Kakashi warning to get back. He smiled warmly at the pale teen, hoping his social skills weren’t too rusty. “My name is Iruka, and this is Kakashi. Where did you come from?” Iruka’s eyebrows shot up as Itachi revealed their home town. “That’s pretty far away. Tell me, have you seen any others? Are there any more of y—”

“I would be willing to answer any and all questions you may have. I simply ask for a hot meal, if not for the both of us, then for my brother,” Itachi cut in carefully, respectfully.

Kakashi bristled as he was subsequently ignored. “I’ve told you, you cannot stay here.”

Pressing his lips together tightly, Iruka turned to the taller man and crossed his arms. “Kakashi, a word?” Indicating to the right, Iruka trailed after Kakashi, walking until they were out of earshot.  The pack of wolf-dogs stayed on the brothers, keeping them hostage.

“No,” Kakashi stated abruptly, already knowing where this conversation was going. He turned to face his brunette lover and shook his head. “They’re not staying with us.”

Iruka shifted his weight to one leg and cocked his hip. “Who said anything about staying with us? There are plenty of other safe areas around here, all habitable.”

“No.”

“Kakashi, they are _children_ ,” Iruka insisted, throwing an arm out. “You cannot leave them to die.”

“Children can be just as monstrous as any adult,” Kakashi shot back. “They’ve made it this far, they can keep going.”

“Not if they’re starving!” Anger rising in his chest, Iruka struggled to find the words to convince the stubborn man. “I understand your reluctance to trust outsiders, I really and truly do, but this is different.”

“Oh, tell me how.”

“Don’t you dare patronize me,” Iruka growled, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’ve had more experience with outsiders than you. You stayed in your fortress while I lived with other people. They are not here to cause harm; they are frightened and vulnerable children who need our help. We cannot stand by and sentence them to death.”

“How vulnerable can they be if they’ve come here, unharmed and whole? Do you really think they’re so innocent? The Infected would have torn them apart.” Kakashi stared impassively at Iruka.

“Of course I do! They were born into this world; they are survivors, just like we are.”

“Having survived this long just makes them all the more dangerous.”

“You accepted me here.”

“That was different.”

“How is that different? It’s the same!”

“It’s not the same, and you know it. You came here by accident; they _knew_ where we were.” Kakashi spoke harshly, eyeing the brothers with distrust. “Those traps were set there for a reason.”

“You’re being ridiculous and paranoid.”

“Being ridiculous and paranoid has keep me a live this far. I don’t see a need to change.”

“….”

“You know my answer.”

On the verge of beginning to yell at the man in frustration, Iruka turned his back to Kakashi, silently fuming. After a few beats, he spoke again, this time in a much calmer tone. “If you’re not willing to help, then I’ll be responsible for them. You don’t want to feed them, fine, I’ll do it. I’ll set them up in one of the houses near the edges of the city.”

“Goddammit, you don’t even know them,” the ex-militant contended, exasperated. “They could be playing up the innocent act to get on your good side and then cut your throat while you’re sleeping.”

“No they’re not, since I’ve seen that act before. More than once,” Iruka responded hollowly, refusing to look at the other man. “Kakashi, they need help. Trust me, as I’ve trusted you. That’s all I ask.” He turned to meet Kakashi’s gaze.

Kakashi’s mouth snapped shut at Iruka’s words. Reaching up to rub a hand across his mouth, he cursed silently, glaring at the duo as he thought out his response. He and Iruka were treading on thin ice, and he wasn’t keen on breaking through, not after everything they’ve been through. “They can stay in the bottom floor bedroom, next to the stairs. That way I can keep an eye on them,” he ceded reluctantly. “I’ll trust you.”

**xXx**

“Don’t eat it too fast, or you’ll hurt yourselves,” Iruka warned with a stern tone, handing the brothers a plate of cooked meat and a few scraps of old vegetables. He stored them outside to simulate freezing them, but the fluctuations in temperatures allowed the food to spoil, albeit at a slower pace. “If you want more, feel free to ask.” He sat down at the dinner table, poking around his own plate. He wasn’t really hungry. Brown eyes landed on the empty chair beside him before turning back to his guests.

Immediately, the youngest began scarfing down the food, his eyes wide and glowing with amazement. His cheeks brimming with food, he tried to speak, looking up at Iruka and choking.

“Naruto,” the older teen scolded. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

The blond-haired boy gazed at his brother and nodded his head, struggling to swallow. “This is delicious!” he crowed, giving Iruka a beaming smile that had the older man grinning back. He had a vibrant personality and an infectious laugh. Iruka couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen such a friendly and happy child.

Itachi on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Somber, pale, almost sickly looking, he was quiet and respectful. His manners were impeccable, giving the impression he’d come from a wealthy family. _Brothers, huh_?

“I’m glad you think so. Kakashi is quite the cook.”

Naruto paused his eating, a small frown marring his face. “He’s not happy we’re here. I can tell.”

“No, he’s not,” Iruka admitted, seeing no point in lying. “But he wasn’t happy when I first got here and now we live together.”

“I would like to thank you for helping us.” Itachi finished eating, shoving his full plate to the side. “We caused unwarranted discord between you and Kakashi, and I apologize for that.”

Iruka rose and refilled Naruto’s plate, chuckling at the speed at which the boy inhaled food. He left Itachi’s plate, noting the older teen hadn’t eaten much. “There is no need to thank me or apologize,” he chastised lightly. “If we do not help each other, then there is no hope for anyone. And Kakashi is within his rights to be distrustful, but know he’s not a bad man.”

Sneaking bites from Itachi’s plate, Naruto glanced at the wolf-dogs that were crowing around the door, not allowed in after a few incidents of stealing food off the plates. “Can I go play with them?” he asked excitedly, already out of his seat and running over to them. He froze only when he heard Itachi clearing his throat, turning around and facing the other men.

“Sure, go right ahead. They’re pretty friendly,” Iruka said, waving a hand flippantly. “Go into the other room, the one by the front door; that’s where I put their toys.”

“Thanks!”

Darting away, the blond-haired boy vanished around the door jamb, followed by a thunderous cloud of barking, growling, and the sound of nails on the hardwood. The two males were left in the quiet room.

“May I speak with you outside?”

Iruka turned to the younger raven and tilted his head, caught off-guard by the teen’s serious visage. It made him look much older. “You can talk here. We’re all alone.”

“I would rather take no chances of being overheard.”

“Have something to hide?” Kakashi stepped into the kitchen, crossing his arms. He stared at the teen, as if daring him to lie.

“Not from you, no.”

Iruka stood up, walked over to the hallway and grabbed Kakashi’s arm. “This way, follow me.”

Once outside, both Iruka and Kakashi waited for Itachi to speak. Kakashi noticed how suddenly unsure and agitated the boy was. Just what was he hiding? He was pacing in the snow, appearing unaffected by the lowering temperatures. The silver-haired man moved closer to his brunette companion, ignoring the look Iruka shot him.

“I may have lied when I told you we just needed some food and a place to stay.”

Kakashi held his tongue, nearly biting it in the effort. “Speak the truth now, and I may have mercy.” He was proud he didn’t flinch at the elbow suddenly buried in his side.

“Simply put, I’m asking, no, begging you to take care of Naruto.” Itachi’s face was torn between anguish and determination.

Iruka blinked. “Come again?”

“And why would we do that?” Kakashi interjected, taken aback.

“I can no longer fully care for him.” Itachi admitted, swallowing heavily. The teen’s unusually dark eyes narrowed and closed. “Or at least I won’t be able to.”

“Please explain.” Iruka said softly.

As if conflicted, Itachi shrugged and shoved his jacket and shirt up, exposing his abdomen and chest. Standing stark against the pale skin near his navel was a large bite mark. The skin around the wound was already blistering and changing, growing patches of fungus. Blood sluggishly oozed out, beading and running down his stomach. The red color was almost black.

The thick veins trailing under his skin were branching out over his ribs, spreading the Infection. Maroon splotches littered his chest like bruises.

“Oh no.” Iruka took a step back, immediately wary. Kakashi didn’t move beside him, but he could tell the other man had tensed up.

“It’s faster than I expected. I can’t fight it, and I can’t leave Naruto all alone. He’s too young.” Itachi yanked the shirt back down, craning his neck around Kakashi to see if Naruto had seen.

“And you’re shoving him off on us?” Kakashi asked incredulously.

“Itachi, where did you find him?” Iruka asked, a sneaking suspicion creeping into his mind. “And where is your real brother?”

Itachi stiffened, the blood draining from his already pale face. He glanced away, hunching his shoulders and wrapping his arms around himself. “My brother. He’s….Sasuke is…” Soundlessly mouthing words, Itachi closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know what happened to him.” The teen whispered, his voice cracking. “We got separated during an attack. I couldn’t protect him. I was supposed to watch over him, but I failed and I don’t know where he is.” His voice grew desperate. “I looked for him everywhere, but there was so much blood and bodies…the Infected killed everyone.

“How old was he?” Iruka asked gently.

“The same age as Naruto. Sasuke would be thirteen…” Itachi’s eyes slowly opened, surprisingly void of tears. “I found Naruto when he was nine, a year after I lost Sasuke. His family was taken from him by the Infected. We were both alone, and he was scared. I can’t leave him scared again.”

Kakashi blew out a heavy breath, glancing back towards the house. “You can’t expect us to—”

“I know what I’m asking of you isn’t fair, but you were the only people available! He can’t survive on his own, he’ll die.”

“Jesus H. Christ,” Iruka cursed. He knew himself well enough to know there was no way he could turn Itachi down. The boy playing around happily with the dogs would stand no chance on his own, and if he could convince Kakashi, he wouldn’t have to be. Itachi was a lost cause, but he’d make sure to honor the teen’s request.

But how to persuade Kakashi? He took a deep breath. “Kakashi, we—mph!” Kakashi’s calloused hand clamped over his mouth. Incensed, Iruka slapped his hand away. “What the hell?”

“Do you hear that?” Kakashi asked, looking around, lowering his hand. He cocked his head, much like a dog would.

“Kakashi, I don’t hear anything.” Iruka supplied after a few seconds of listening, but he knew better than to dismiss Kakashi’s question. Not after what happened at the library.

The older man walked away from the other two, drawn by a familiar popping sound that was beginning to freeze over his veins. It suddenly stopped, leaving him in a state of alarm. He hadn’t reset the traps where Itachi and Naruto had come from. Itachi had been injured, but they hadn’t seen any Infected around. The bite was fairly recent. Which meant that….

Within seconds Kakashi was back in the house, tearing through like a hurricane as he grabbed a rifle and sprinted out the door, the dogs hot on his trial. He ignored Iruka calls.

Tunnel vision sharpening his mind, Kakashi bolted to one of the houses they renovated as a look-out. He chose the one with the best view of the area, his feet slamming against the ground as he ran to it. Once inside, he raced upstairs and peered over at the area where Itachi and Naruto had emerged from.

And he saw nothing.

Confused, Kakashi left the base, rifle in hand as he headed towards the opening. Sniffing the air and listening carefully, he could neither smell nor see nothing amiss. So what had set off more of the traps? Had they been faulty?

Crunching through the snow, he could see all their earlier footprints, but nothing out of the ordinary. Uneasy, Kakashi kept a firm grip on his weapon as he inspected the traps that had been set off. The small blasts usually left bits of debris scattered around from whatever touched them leaving a clear picture as to what happened. Rarely were the traps set off by wildlife, but rarer still for them to go off with no cause.

He nudged the strings, inspecting them. They hadn’t changed from the last time they were there. So what _had_ gone off?

His nostrils flared and the sweet stench of rotting flesh and fungus invaded his nose. Used to his mask filtering smells, Kakashi quickly brought up a hand to shield his nose while turning to find the source.

He whirled around, confused when he still couldn’t see the source. Iruka, Itachi, and Naruto quickly joined him, all winded from having run all the way there. The dogs were uneasily circling them, snorting and pawing. Several of the older wolf-dogs were standing at attention, their ears pointed up and their eyes looking around.

“Kakashi, what is it.” Iruka grunted out, placing his hands on his knees as he rested. “What did you hear?”

“The traps were going off….” said Kakashi, rubbing his nose. The smell was getting stronger but he still couldn’t pinpoint its location. “I figured there had been a breach and came to take care of it, but there’s nothing.”

“Is there a chance the traps that were set off weren’t here…but at another site?” Itachi spoke softly, petting one of the dogs that were nearby. He was avoiding eye contact.

Iruka turned to the younger man, a stricken look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“You tried to get in a different way?” Kakashi cut in, anger lacing his words.

Itachi winced. “Your security measures are impeccable. We tried a few different areas all along the city border.”

The silver-haired man grabbed the raven by the shoulders and shook him hard, shoving off Naruto who latched onto him as soon as he made contact. “Did. You. Set. Off. The. Traps.”

Gasping at the treatment, Itachi nodded, clutching Kakashi’s wrists. “We managed to disable a lot of them, but we left a few. We were trying to find help…” He trailed off. “I’m sorry.”

Kakashi shoved Itachi away, fury making him shake. He glared at the teen. “Do you realize what you have done? You’ve fucked us all.”

“Kakashi, don’t tell me…” Iruka began, not fully comprehending what was going on.

“How long have you been here? How long have you been trying to get in?”

Itachi stood up, holding onto Naruto who was getting ready to attack Kakashi. “Naruto, calm down. About a week or so. When I found out you were actually alive, that was a few days ago, and then we were attacked.”

Turning to Iruka, Kakashi shook his head. “I told you. Not that it matters now.” He said tersely. “It wouldn’t have changed a goddamn thing.”

The brunette was silent, his face grim. “You disabled the traps, weakened our defenses and possibly allowing hundreds of Infected to infiltrate the city. Knowing this you didn’t tell us earlier? We’ve done nothing but be kind to you, and this is how you repay us?” His tone was accusatory, making the brothers flinch.

“We didn’t know if we could fully trust you.” Itachi protested desperately. “Please, don’t take this out on Naruto, the idea was mine.”

“You are in no position to ask for anything.” Kakashi growled. His internal alarms were beginning to ring. Just how many areas had they hit? How many vulnerable spots were not available, and how many Infected had snuck in? Would they be able to fight them off? “ _Fuck_.”

“What the hell is that stench?” Iruka suddenly groaned, a strong wave of something putrid hitting him. It made his eyes water, making him want to gag. His irritation momentarily drowned out, he covered his nose and winced.

The dogs whimpered as well, shuffling around and growling. A few of them barked loudly, aggressively. Kakashi gave them and order and they raced away, leaving three dogs to stay behind along with the puppies.

Kakashi grabbed Iruka’s hand and began a fast pace back home, almost dragging the professor along. For once, he was grateful Iruka didn’t argue. He slowed down when the younger pups couldn’t keep up.

“What are we going to do?” Iruka questioned, glancing behind them to see the brothers quickly following.

“We’re going back home, getting our shit and leaving.” Kakashi gritted out. “We’re no longer safe here since there’s no telling how many Infected are on their way.” A trio of howls rang out, quickly joined by more. Kakashi paused for a second before curing vehemently. “Jesus, fuck.”

Not well-versed in reading the wolf-dogs howls yet, Iruka took it as a very bad sign. His hand tightened in Kakashi’s grip.

“Wait, wait!”

Hearing Naruto cry out, Iruka stumbled and stopped, pivoting to see what happened.

Itachi was on all fours, gasping loudly and Naruto was trying to pull him back up.

Pulling free from Kakashi’s grasp, Iruka ran over to the fallen teen. “What is it?” He cried out, his head whipping around as the rest of the pack of dogs appeared and raced past them, meeting up with the others. As if they were being chased…the smell grew stronger.

“I-I can’t keep going.” Itachi grunted, holding his stomach. “Hnngg, it…it hurts too much. It burns.” He whimpered, his head falling forward and touching the ground. His back convulsed and he screamed.

“He’s changing.” Iruka cried out, turning to Kakashi. “He’s becoming one of them!”

“Itachi, get up! You gotta get up!” Naruto yelled, grabbing a pale limb and tugging furtively.

“Naruto…go!” Itachi slapped Naruto’s hand away, lifting his dirt-smeared face off the ground. “You have t-to go now!”

“Iruka, get Naruto.” Kakashi commanded. Reaching to his waist, he brought out a gun. To Itachi he said, “What do you want?” It was clear the boy only had two choices, but having the opportunity to choose was better than not.

“Kill…m—”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a bullet entered his head. Brain matter and bone sprayed the ground, and Itachi’s body went limp. Calmly, Kakashi holstered his firearm and turned to his lover.

“ITACHI!” Naruto screamed, struggling tremendously against Iruka’s tight grip. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?”

“Naruto, stop!” Iruka yelled, desperately trying not to hurt him. “Itachi was going to die either way!”

The taller man reached over and yanked Naruto to him. With a deft hand, he delivered a precise strike to the back of Naruto’s skull, rendering him unconscious. “We don’t have time for this.” He addressed Iruka curtly, lifting Naruto’s limp body up and throwing it over his shoulder.

Iruka nodded faintly.

**xXx**

Iruka followed Kakashi down an unfamiliar basement hallway, glancing round curiously. He had never seen this portion of the house, and hadn’t even been aware of its existence. The older man quickly jogged to a cabinet at the end of the narrow hallway. He set Naruto down not-so-gently and yanked the doors open. Iruka couldn’t see what was inside, but he jumped back when Kakashi threw a black travel backpack at him.

The bag thumped onto the ground, heavy with something. Two more different colored bags joined it, tipping over as they landed.

“Grab whichever one you can carry the longest.” Kakashi ordered, his voice taunt with tension. “We have no time to spare.” He pulled out a few more items and began strapping what he could to his body. He whistled loudly and a few of the wolf-dogs appeared at his side, silently waiting. Kakashi reached down and began putting a harness around each one, tying weapons and other lighter items onto them. Each animal was outfitted with items they could carry comfortably.

“Where will we go?” Iruka asked numbly. The bags weren’t too heavy, but he wouldn’t have an easy time with them. He mimicked Kakashi and began arming himself up.

“Anywhere.” Kakashi answered tersely. “We’re no longer safe here, and it’s too dangerous to try to and kill them all, not to mention impossible.”

“So you did have an escape plan as well.”

Kakashi snorted. “Of course. The only problem now is that I’m used to my city.” He turned to Iruka, a wry smile on his face. “We’re going into your territory.” He vainly thought of his emergency plans, but those had been created with just himself to worry about. He didn’t want to risk it with Iruka at his side.

“I hope I don’t disappoint.”

Once he was done, Iruka glanced down at the puppies yowling and scampering around the floor, unaware of the danger that was coming. A worried though entered his head. “What do we do about them? They won’t be able to keep up.”

“The older ones will keep an eye on them if they fall behind.” Kakashi grunted, picking Naruto back up. “We can’t afford to carry them, but they’ll be safe. Once we settle somewhere, they’ll find us.” Kakashi ushered Iruka up the basement stairs. “And if they don’t, they’ll be taught to hunt and live as actual wolves.”

Reaching the top of the stairs, Iruka stepped forth and grabbed Naruto from Kakashi. Before he could protest, Iruka shook his head. “We’re going out there not knowing what to expect. You’re going to need both hands, so I’ll take him.”

Taking a second to think it over, Kakashi nodded. “We’re leaving through the back. Chances are we’ll see a lot of them, but we might be able to avoid them.” He reached forward and grasped Iruka’s face with both hands, bringing him in for a quick kiss. “Let’s go.”

**xXx**

The backyard was crawling with Infected, all at varying stages. The garden had been trampled and the rest of the traps rendered null and void. They all had broken through, attracted by Itachi and Naruto’s actions. They had invaded in masses, covering ground quickly.

“Fuck.” Kakashi hissed, peering out the door before pulling back and shutting it. “The front door, go.”

Adjusting the surprisingly heavy body of Naruto on his shoulder, Iruka wordlessly jogged to the front door and cracking it open. “Clear!” he called out, not seeing any signs of Infected. He prayed they weren’t just hiding, waiting for them to come out.

Kakashi jostled his way in front of Iruka. Armed and ready, he gave Iruka a quick nod. “Stay behind me, but keep your eyes peeled. If worse comes to worse, keep going. If the three of us can’t make it, at least two will.” Red and grey eyes were narrowed and serious. This was life or death. “Don’t fight me on this.”

“I-I promise.” Past conversations about death and separation ran through Iruka’s mind, filling him with a sense of horror that overshadowed his fear or the Infected. Swallowing dryly, he fought the childish urge to run back to their room and hide.

Not giving Iruka a chance to respond, Kakashi fully pulled the door open and jumped out, Iruka right behind him.

The cries of Infected filled the air.

 

** xXx TBC xXx **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to all those who bothered to just read, drop a comment, kudos, or bookmark the story! You guys fucking rock and writing this was a fantastic and fun experience that I hope to continue in the sequel. 
> 
> As a bonus to all those who stuck around for me to finish this, I was curious if you guys were interested in seeing little scenes that I thought about writing, but ultimately weren’t included. These wouldn’t necessarily be things that _did_ happen in this story, but what _could_ have happened. 
> 
> Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to cry about the Hannibal season 3 finale.


	12. Extra #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the year break, after they had sex but before Itachi shows up.  
> Fighting isn't always an option.

He was completely and utterly lost.

Contemplating his dilemma, Iruka squinted around, vainly searching for something at least a little bit familiar. Rather than the tall sky scrapers he'd come to recognize as part of his new home, all he saw were ancient suburban houses with overgrown lawns and busted windows. No signs of the markings indicating Kakashi's all-clear, no traps, no signs that anyone had stepped foot in this place for a very long time.

Raikiri sniffed the broken pavement near the street's clogged storm drain and whined, standing loyally by his side but wanting to explore. The two other dogs, Akino and Pakkun, were busy investigating a rusted hydrant and the tufts of weeds threading the base.

Figures, his first perimeter rounds alone and he gets lost. Fantastic.

And it wasn't even his fault. He had been dutifully following the border Kakashi prompted him to use as a guide on his foray when the wolf-dogs had picked up on something over the barrier and had hightailed to it, leaving him to scramble after them. The next thing he knew the psychology teacher was on the corner of too-faded-to-read street and missing-the-sign lane.

Armed with a gun Kakashi affectionately termed 'El Diablo', a box of bullets for it, a medical kit, and an emergency flare gun all tucked away in a rucksack, Iruka didn't so much worry for his own safety than the way he'd get back home. Of course the threat of encountering more Infected, specifically Stalkers, didn't leave his mind. It hovered over every thought, a constant reminder, but the fact that he had three well-trained vicious canines with him did ease the worry by a tiny amount.

"I don't suppose you all know the way back?" Iruka sighed, smiling wryly as Raikiri met his gaze, wagged his tail and tilted his head, appearing confused. "Home," he enunciated, "take me home. Smell the way back." The German Shepard simply cocked his head the other way, tongue coming out to lick his chops. His ears flopped and perked. "Didn't think so."

Right. A quick peek at his watch gave him a timeframe. He had a long day before the sun set, meaning it wasn't pertinent to get back at the moment. Besides, a little exploring couldn't hurt, he ruminated, finding it marginally interesting to be in an area Kakashi hadn't. This was new ground.

He withdrew the revolver, frowning at how awkward it felt in his grip. Kakashi had known he was more of a melee-type of user, but had insisted Iruka take the firearm as a precaution; looks like he had a point. He might be a lousy shot, but it was better than being entirely unprotected. The scope mounted on the barrel of the weapon was handy at least.

Sticking two fingers into his mouth, he whistled sharply and the wandering dogs popped to his side instantly. He was lucky to even remember the whistle signals, if not the hand ones.

The brunet then led their little cluster down an old country-esque road, listening to the cry of song birds and the rustling of oak tree leaves as they walked. It was soothing. The vibrant colors of wildflowers blooming in masses, the crunch of dry shrubberies and pine needles, the whisper of the wind through the foliage; maybe getting lost hadn't been a bad thing. No Infected so far, just the hubbub of wild life.

The street petered out into a short bridge that overlooked a small constellation of houses. A large tree shadowed the passage, creating a pleasant shady spot. Taking a moment to enjoy his surroundings, Iruka leaned on the orange railing and peered down, feeling the dry paint chips crumble beneath his grip. He rested his right boot heel on the bottommost bar of the rail and grinned as glanced down.

"You know, I would have loved to live in a type of neighborhood like this," he said conversationally as Raikiri laid down by his feet, the other two canines lazily trotted about, busy playing with an old plastic shopping bag. "My apartment was okay, but the upstairs occupants were a nightmare. My own home, complete with an actual yard and personal driveway; the dream life," he wistfully fantasized. Though now that he really thought about it, Kakashi's house was right up his alley in terms of what he liked and disliked about living in a definite house. Not to mention the lack of bills and rent to pay, but with no running water and working toilet it had its downsides. In reality, they were living the new dream life, or at most a close approximate.

Lost in his mind, Iruka blinked when his eyes focused on a black pylon in the background of the houses, standing thin and lanky. Squinting and leaning forward, he realized it was a radio tower. Fleeting thoughts of reaching the structure and radioing for help entered his mind, but he knew there was no point— it probably didn't even work anymore. Iruka did allow a tiny bit of hope to flare up, wondering if there were other like-minded survivors in similar situations. Maybe ones nearby, ready to begin anew and restart civilization. The brunet unconsciously pouted. But he quite liked his current accommodations, a selfish as it seemed. If anything, calling attention now would only ruin the world Kakashi had built and the one he was enjoying.

Living together had shown Iruka sides of Kakashi he hadn't realized were buried underneath his rough exterior. For one thing, he was astonished to find out Kakashi was a bit of a romantic, which noticeably was dominated by his deviant and perverted nature. He was not-so-surprised to realize the other man was quite possessive of his belongings, remembering their first encounter. It had taken weeks before Kakashi gave him a full house tour and free roaming capabilities. Every day there was something new to discover and explore with the silver-haired man, which pleased Iruka to no end.

All in all, it was best to let things be.

The brunet was eventually drawn from his reflections by his guilty conscious reminding him he needed to uphold his side of the deal and finish his rounds. "C'mon guys, we've got work to do."

Pushing off lazily, Iruka trekked down the rest of the bridge, maneuvering past a corroded blue car that was sinking into the road and arriving at new district. The houses here were tall, imposing two-story assemblies with fancy wooden porches and huge bay windows. A rich neighborhood, judging by the architecture and splendor. Cautiously, Iruka entered one with the front door missing, his gun scanning the length of the room.

Immediately he was met with a staircase leading to the second floor, the rotted wood preventing progress upstairs. El Diablo heavy in his hands, Iruka ambled to the left, his eyes roaming over the desolate living room. A lonely bookcase sat next to a flat screen TV that was caked in a layer of gray dust. Books were strewn along the TV stand, spilling onto an ancient Persian rug that was faded with age.

The psychology professor bypassed the mess, heading right into the kitchen. Ugly yellow cabinets and bright green wallpaper assaulted his vision, causing him to frown. He wasn't picky with décor, but this was just atrocious. Ignoring the eyesore, he hooked a finger onto the handle of halfway open drawer near the sink and pulled, mildly curious. He was startled to see a complete set of sterling silver knives, spoons, and forks.

Putting the gun away momentarily, Iruka forcibly broke into one of the lilting top cabinets, taken aback to see it fully stocked with boxes of dry cereal and cans of preservatives. They were probably expired, but it was the experience of actually finding food that astonished Iruka. That meant this area truly had been left alone, untouched by the rampant raiding and pillaging that had struck every other neighborhood in the states.

He crouched, rummaging through every compartment systematically. He was met with countless pots and pans in relatively good conditions, more dry foods, and even kibble. Iruka was proud the several infested rat nests he discovered hadn't deterred him from hunting; in the end, his spoils consisted of two boxes of usable pancake mix, three cans of pinto beans, and an unopened jar of honey. A bottle of vodka was hidden underneath the sink, and after a moment of brief consideration, he took it as well.

Absurdly proud of his findings, Iruka tucked the items away in his pack, actually feeling as if he were a productive member House Hatake. Kakashi usually provided for him, so the chance to return the favor contented him. The thought that he wanted to impress the other didn't escape him, but he refused to analyze it. Iruka strapped the rucksack on and headed out the gaping open back door, the wooden boards of the deck creaking loudly as he stepped over a plastic lawn chair and descended to the courtyard. The house's back yard ended sharply a few feet from the stairs, cut off by a ten foot drop created by a wall of cinder blocks. It led him down into the same street he had been gazing at from atop the bridge.

Iruka took the easy way down, following the steps alongside the barrier. Raikiri trailed after him closely, often bounding ahead to give him the all-clear. Akino stayed behind him while Pakkun disappeared only to reappear occasionally at his leisure. Amused by the sudden change to cobblestone road, Iruka explored along the stretch.

An open garage caught his interest and the professor snuck over to investigate. A rusted red truck blocked most of the entryway to the carport, so Iruka shimmied over the hood, snapping on his flashlight to see once he got inside. Mostly empty, the only items of concern were a workbench pushed up against the back wall and massive amount of yellow and black DeWALT power tools resting hooked on a pegboard. Oxidized drill bits and tarnished gears littered the surface of the worktable, spilling out of their designated niches. Rolls of duct tape were neatly stacked on the top shelf, along with a myriad of other handyman toys. Iruka played with the idea of crafting a new weapon with the junk on the bench, but the lack of weapon to upgrade dissuaded him.

So he left, crawling back out onto the street where Raikiri barked at him, upset he had gone. Seeing Iruka safe, he took up his post and nudge the brunet's leg, as if forgiving him. Iruka chuckled, patting the German Shepard on the head and giving his back a good scratch. "Thanks boy." He looked around for the other two, only to find them waiting at the edge of another drop, ready to move on. Iruka let out a quiet laugh at their impatience; they were used to Kakashi's pace, not so much his.

His thoughts drifted to the other man again. He wondered what Kakashi was up to. The ex-militant supposedly had his own routes to do, not really bothering to elaborate. As he ambled about, Iruka could visualize Kakashi methodically checking each house on the road, clearing them and marking them for future reference. He was meticulous and careful, things Iruka could greatly appreciate. Not surprisingly, he missed the other's formidable presence. Iruka sighed. Admittedly he was enamored with Kakashi, but he couldn't let it bother him now, when he needed his wits about. Once he found his way back, then he could fool around.

At the bottom, Iruka found himself in a cul-de-sac with more of the impressive houses. He snuck inside each dwelling, gathering more supplies and small knick-knacks. With the lack of Infected, Iruka could have duped himself into thinking there weren't any around. None of the houses he ventured showed signs of Cordyceps growth or looting. It was as if the people had just up and gone, disappeared, leaving behind their belongings and possessions carelessly. The discomfort of not knowing weighed in his mind, but Iruka paid it no heed. As long as he wasn't being attacked, there was nothing to worry about.

His backpack grew heavier the more he explored, but Iruka didn't mind the added heft. What truly bothered him was the darkening sky and the obvious fact that he was still fucking lost. He thought about firing off the flare and waiting to see if Kakashi would find him, but he was reluctant to use his single mean of contacting the other and he feared the repercussions of drawing too much attention to himself. This area wasn't among Kakashi's cleared zones, meaning any Infected who were in the vicinity would come running in.

Biting his lip, Iruka decided to use it as a last resort.

**xXx**

Arching his neck in the mirror, Kakashi dragged the edge of the knife down his cheek carefully. It was difficult to trim the stubble with no shaving cream, but he made do, managing to nick himself only a dozen or so times. He scraped off the slight scruff that darkened his jaw, rubbing a hand across the smooth skin underneath once finished. It felt overly sensitive, especially without his mask, but Iruka had dropped a shy comment about beard burn on his inner thighs, mentioning how uncomfortable it was and Kakashi gallantly offered to shave.

His sex life was a stake.

Still standing in front of his reflection, Kakashi took a swift inventory of his appearance. His hair was not that long, so he could go without a haircut for another month, despite the tangles that said otherwise. His torso and arms were dotted and lined with scars and old wounds, but they blended well into his pale skin. He had a bit of hair on his legs, but that was typical of being a male—no need to mess with those, even if Iruka had very little on his body that wasn't around his cock or on his head. Anyway, he was in good shape.

Kakashi wiped away the stray strands on the porcelain sink, cleaning up as he ventured from the bathroom to the bedroom down the hall in nothing but his threadbare boxers. As he entered, his sensitive nose picked up the trace of his and Iruka's natural scents mixing, coming heavily from the bed; he grinned. It was comfy and welcoming. Kakashi briefly contemplating rubbing one out as he waited for Iruka to return, but though it better to wait, letting the arousal slowly build.

He dressed, slipping on an old loose T-shirt and baggy jeans that hung low on his hips. While he was more at ease in his military fatigues, he occasionally took a break and put on casual outfits on his days off. He kept his boots, snugly lacing them up over the ends of the jeans. Bored, he jogged down the grand stairway, hand skimming over the smooth mahogany of the banister. The beloved creaks of his stronghold home met his hears as he descended, sounding unusually loud and resonant. Kakashi brushed thought away, heading to the kitchen for something to eat.

Finding a small snack in a series of Power bars and prematurely-picked watermelon slices, Kakashi slid on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island and ate. As he chewed, he glanced to the vacant seat next to him before looking away. The silence surrounding him was nearly overbearing, even with the sporadic barks and howls of the wolf-dogs scampering around.

It had become routine that Iruka joined him for any mealtime, so the brunet's absence bothered him despite the fact it was he who had sent Iruka out. In sullen silence, Kakashi finished his lonesome unfulfilling meal and decided to take quick catalogue of the remaining victuals. Dinosaur pen captured between his teeth, he jotted down a list of items he'd need to restock, taking into account the foodstuff Iruka seemed to prefer. Regardless of most of the food being 'add water and heat' Mylar packets, the taste wasn't that bad and made a passable meal. It helped that they were experimenting with spices and could enhance the powders with produce from the garden.

Completing the log, he folded and stuck the paper into his pocket, planning on dropping by to his storage containers housed a few blocks down. That's where he kept the good stuff.

The silver-haired man trudged from the pantry to the living room, restless. Sofa in sight, he chose to reread a few of his favorite books to knock down a couple hours and take his mind off the brunet. It proved futile, as every scene devolved into a poorly rendered fantasy of him and Iruka reprising the roles of the characters, making him miss the brunet even more. The ex-militant then switched genres, picking a series the other was reading. He was genuinely enjoying the book before thoughts of Iruka meeting some unexpected Infected seeped into his concentration, hovering over every word he tried to focus on. He was well aware the professor was capable of defending himself, but something inside hated the idea, wanting to protect him. It itched, urging Kakashi to seek Iruka out to make sure he was okay.

Sourly, Kakashi checked his watch. It had only been a handful of hours since Iruka had left, meaning the brunet wasn't due back for several more. He'd need to find something else to occupy his mind as he unhappily waited. Rubbing the back of his neck, he settled on cleaning his guns, ignoring the fact they truly didn't need it.

Kakashi set down a kit on the living room coffee table. Picking up his black and silver Smith & Wesson 645, he removed the magazine and clicked opened the chamber, peering through the barrel from the back to the front. Disassembling the firearm, he focused on cleaning the barrel carefully with the required patches and rods. The task was blessedly routine, his hands used to the action as thoughts of the professor remained in his head, taking his attention and robbing him of his concentration.

The silver-haired man managed to get through a few pistols before he conceded defeat and put them away with an irate grumble. He obviously needed to find a more rigorous activity to keep from thinking of Iruka. Desperate at this point, Kakashi hoped to relocate his body's energy.

Perspiration dripped down his neck and chest, soaking his shirt as he tallied each push-up, striving to reach a new number when the burn mounted and made his arms quiver. Once achieved, he rolled onto his back and started doing crunches, bringing up a knee to his chest with each rep. His muscles hummed with an ache as he exercised, having not been focused on keeping up his athletic build as regularly as he used to.

Popping to his feet, he smoothly transitioned into a set of jumping jacks which evolved into high knee kicks. Kakashi's heart beat strongly and he breathed evenly, still counting. Beginning a set of air punches with simple twenty pound weights in each hand, he grunted as his fists blurred with speed and his legs flexed to keep him from falling forward. His mind strayed to the idea of having Iruka work out with him, possibly building up a sweat in other activities as well.

 _Shit_.

It was no use, he was pathetic. With a growl of impatience, Kakashi abruptly ceased his isometrics, snatched his tactical chest holster from the hall closet and headed outside, shoulders set and rigid. The rest of the pack followed, eager for playtime.

He had done so well on his own, but now that Iruka had intruded on his life and captured his heart, Kakashi couldn't stand being without him. It was a thorn in his side, but a thorn he willingly placed there. He strode off his land, passing several boulevards and crossways to reach the border of his protected zone.

In retrospect, it made sense; he had basically coerced Iruka into staying with him, so the inability to be without the other was his own punishment. That, and the company of another human being after years of solitude was like a drug, intensified by his attraction and need for their interactions. Overall, he was royally fucked. He vainly hoped Iruka was having a hard time as well, not wanting to be the only smitten fool.

He quickly reached the waist-high barrier constructed of loose bricks. Starting at the same point where he advised Iruka to begin from, Kakashi trooped along the wall, mentally calculating how far off the other must be. Because it was the professor's first rounds alone, Kakashi expected him to take his time and learn the way. What he didn't expect was to see no sign of the professor, even after doubling back and running the entire length of the protected region, eyes and ears peeled for signs of Iruka.

Kakashi wasn't immediately worried just curious. There were no marks to signal a recent fight, so he ruled out the idea of Iruka coming across Infected in the immediate vicinity. Deciding another trip around along the wall was useless, Kakashi took to the city to search. He jogged down the abandoned streets, traversed traffic-jammed highways, and sped through crowded interstates. The curiosity soon dissolved into straight up apprehension and distress the longer Kakashi hunted with no Iruka to be found.

"Fuck, where the hell are you?" He muttered, no longer running but outright sprinting down the streets, the pack spreading out as he split them into teams. He shouted Iruka's name, ears straining to pick up a response. The echoing ring of his call was his only reply. A strange sense of panic settled low in his belly and Kakashi's jaw ached with the force of grinding his teeth.

They sky was darkening, heightening Kakashi's worry further. He whistled loudly for Akino and Pakkun, using their respective calls, but to no avail. Where the fuck had he gone?!

**xXx**

It was almost pitch-black now.

With no way to know if he was headed in the right direction, Iruka gripped the orange flare gun with trembling, sweaty hands; it was his last shot. He knew Kakashi would be looking for him by now, knew the other man would see the signal and reach him in time.

Probably.

He could hear them shuffling around, groaning and clicking in the semi-darkness. Figures shifted in and out of his peripherals, like ghosts. Their silhouettes were haunting him, pouring fear into his very bones and halting his progress. Each step he took was a heart attack in waiting, dead sure it would be his last.

His poorly construed plan echoed in his head, giving him feeble amounts of courage. Find a wide open area with multiple access points, fire flare, pray Kakashi sees it, and await the heavily experienced and probably weaponized cavalry without getting ripped to shreds by Infected. It troubled Iruka that he needed Kakashi to come rescue him, but he had no choice. Had he been on his own, the brunet would have simply lied low until day break, and then escaped the housing district for a much more favorable location. However, he had Kakashi to rely on and didn't doubt the other would be searching high and low for him, disregarding his own safety as he looked.

Part two of plan: find somewhere to hide once the flare goes off. The Clickers would hear the blast going off and use it to track him; the Stalkers and Runners would see him in the light. He briefly contemplated using the flare as a distraction while he made a run for it, but he'd still be in the same situation. Firing El Diablo brought the same problems; he'd be drawing attention _and_ wasting ammo.

Iruka didn't even want to think about the possibility of Bloaters showing up.

He needed to stay close to the flare, but needed to be out of sight. His best bet came in the form of a rusty four-door car with punctured tires and remarkably intact windows. The back seat door closest to him was gone, but it provided enough shelter for him to hide within. The smell of wet, moldy sponge and algae invaded his nose, but Iruka ignored the stench in favor of reaching down to touch Raikiri as he slipped his pack off.

Pressed tightly to his calves, Raikiri stilled as Iruka tapped out a small rhythm on his back with stiff fingers. It was something similar to Morse code, adapted for easy interpretation in the cases where the dogs couldn't see hand signals. Thank the gods for Kakashi's meticulous preparations. Iruka repeated the signal for each dog, letting out a loose, shaky breath as they ran off together, the sounds of the nails on the tar fading away. He instructed them to join the pack. If he was lucky, they'd be able to lead Kakashi to him if the flare plan failed.

It would also prevent any other canine from getting injured on his behalf.

Collecting the last reserves of valor resting inside him, Iruka gripped the firearm, raised it high above his head and pressed the trigger. Instantly, the gun popped loudly and a bolt of red skyrocketed in the night sky, trailing smoke clouds in its wake.

The implosion of light illuminated the area brightly, exposing the insane amounts of Infected lurking around in a rosy-tinged hue. Clickers, Stalkers, Runners; all were outside, crawling on the streets in dense masses. They were momentarily transfixed by the distress beacon before erupting into screeches of anger and fury, hunting for the culprit. Heart in his throat Iruka dove into the car, curling down against the seats and making himself as small as possible. He was quaking, mouth dry and skin icy cold as he raised his arms in prepared defense. _Please don't see me, please don't see me…_

The crowds of Infected circled the combustion, grappling and slamming into each other as they searched. New ones scuttled out, drawn by the scuffle and light. Some of the more cognizant Runners walked away, understanding the diversion. Iruka didn't think his bladder would hold out as he peeped out. He was safe for the moment, as long as none of the Infected got suddenly curious about the inside of the car.

A strange, horrid low rumbling sound split the air, forcing the hairs on Iruka's neck to rise and his heart develop tachycardia. The metal of the car hummed with the bass, vibrating with the power of the almost-roar. The Infected froze, reacting bizarrely to the noise. They appeared docile, breaking apart and shuffling back as if controlled by the call.

Terrified by the unknown cause, Iruka broke his semi-fetal position and scooted backward in the car until the handle of the door was digging into his spine painfully. His nails breeched the foam of the seats. He felt petrifyingly exposed by the lack of car door at his feet, but it was too late. A familiar stench breached his nose and Iruka cringed at the putrid smell, gagging and coughing as it grew in power in proportion to the noise.

Stalking into the reach of the red-tinted glare, Iruka's eyes fell on something he failed to understand and only knew to be the most horrific thing he'd ever seen.

"Oh…..my god," he whispered, voice wavering.

Towering well above his five feet eight inches, a hulking form of wet, pulsating flesh and purple viscera entered his view. Long sparse black strings wove in an out of the creature, slipping in between the effervescent mounds that made up its bulky body and spilling down to the ground like straggly hair. Human body parts were sticking out all over the monster, heavily coated in thick amounts of Cordyceps. Dense pink tendrils of organic material dragged behind the massive beast, leaving behind smears of slime on the tar. The round-ish figure was supported by more humanoid limbs jutting out underneath it, each extremity bracing at different intervals, pushing the monster forward slowly as it walked. Due to the height differences in limbs, it was tilted. It groaned and thundered as it moved, Infected parting to make room for its passage.

A huge, meaty tail-like protrusion waved in the air, splitting in two feelers at the end. It was fringed with smaller shoots that lightened in color at the tips. They flapped and swayed with the movement of the body, darting to-and-fro as if tasting the air with sharp chittering clicks

Nearly hyperventilating, Iruka felt the door handle cutting into his body the harder he pressed up to the door. WHAT THE FUCK, his mind screamed in repulsion and bone-chilling panic, IS THAT!? Cold sweat slid down his spine and his shoulders hunched, instinctively trying to make himself invisible.

As the mass drew nearer, Iruka swallowed dryly and nearly choked as he recognized a woman's head dangling by her neck. It jerked, the profile exposed in the red glare. Her mouth was opening and closing silently, lips pursing and stretching in a rhythmic motion. The eyes were blank, showing nothing but pink-colored sclera. A bony hand was projected above the head, grasping at nothing and twitching periodically. Flesh clung to the remaining digits on the mutilated appendage, sloughing off bit by bit.

In the light of flare, Iruka could see clouds of particles hovering around the creature, creating a filthy haze. It was gushing spores out, pumping the air full with each step it took.

It's most prominent feature was a huge sunflower-like organ sitting above the tail. Circled in strange neon pink cone shaped antennae that resembled a sea anemone, the structure glistened wetly, the center a light orange sphincter. Iruka identified a similar form on the lower portion of the beast, as if it were dividing in two.

It swiveled, the giant body part pointing directly at Iruka.

JESUS CHIRST HAD IT SEEN HIM?! Iruka breathed brokenly, fear coursing in every vein and vessel in his body as his heart stuttered, failing to keep a healthy beat. Was he about to die? _Oh god, oh no, please no!_ He mentally screamed at his body, hysterically trying to reach for the revolver to _do_ _something_ but his paralyzed hands refused to cooperation, shaking violently as he stared at the freakish creature. There was no way he could take on the beast and live; he didn't have nearly enough ammo.

He was going to die.

It was futile, he was at death's door with a foot inside the threshold. He shut his eyes, turned away and pleaded silently, teeth clenched as he prepared for vicious bite of death. Or would it absorb him, sucking him in to become another body part? Neither thought brought him any measure of respite.

Closing his eyes had been a horrible mistake. The thundering roar of the beast made the brunet cry out in terror, expecting his life to end that second. _Kakashi, oh fuck I'm sorry, shit…please…please_

Nothing happened.

Hours seemed to pass before he opened his eyes again. Curled up tightly against the door, he could see no monster lurking around.

It wasn't there.

His flare was dying down, taking with it the ability to see the Infected. Only a small circle of light remained, barely lighting inside the car. His breathing and heart rate still wildly erratic, Iruka refused to step out. He was sore from holding his scrunched position but made no move to adjust. The feeling that he was about to die remained, wrapped like a vice around his neck.

Had it not seen him? Was it possible he'd been lucky enough not to have been spotted? Was he safe? Or was the beast lurking in the dark, waiting for him to come out so it could kill him?

The door suddenly clicked open behind Iruka.

His alarmed gasp was cut off as a large hand clamped over his mouth and he was drawn up against a solid torso before he tumbled out. In the scanty light that remained, Iruka's wide eyes landed on the pale visage above him. Kakashi's face was unusually stricken and angry; eyes boring into the dark beyond the vehicle. His jaw was noticeably clamped and the cords in his neck stood out.

"It's gone."

Relief abruptly hit Iruka like a ton of bricks and he broke. He could only heave and sob dryly, desperately clutching onto the arm Kakashi wrapped across his chest. He strained to calm down, unable to take a breath sufficiently as the panic rolled over. He had been so afraid, so sure he'd never see the other again! Nerves frayed and worn, Iruka couldn't help the small moans that escaped his throat with each lurch, wanting nothing more than to cling to the other and never let go. The fright gradually leaked from his body in the warm security Kakashi exuded, leaving Iruka utterly exhausted and numb. His tensed muscles ached, begging for release.

Kakashi's pressed his lips to Iruka's cold, sticky temple, offering soothing words the shaking professor didn't seem to hear. "Iruka, I'm here, it's okay. Calm down, I got you. You're safe now." He could feel Iruka's frantic heart beating alongside his arm, could feel the absolute terror washing over him.

His arms tightened around the brunet as dark, narrowed, mismatched eyes watched the darkness intently. Whatever that had been, he could not allow it to live. Iruka had been on the precipice of being taken from him and Kakashi would not tolerate that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The creature described was actually a concept drawn up for a possible stage after Bloaters, but it was scrapped for the game. I wanted to include it in the story, but I ended up cutting it, so it became an extra instead. Let me know if you enjoyed it :)


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